Sam and Joon Get Their License
by League Girl
Summary: Joon wants to be more independent. She wants to get a driver's license and get a car. Sam decides he better get one too so she doesn't always have to do the driving.
1. Chapter 1

_I got bored working on my other story so I started this one. I got this great idea as I was working on my other story. My boyfriend wants to get his driver's license too but he doesn't have a car and I'm too paranoid to let him drive it. My dad said he can give him his old Honda, that be cool. _

* * *

It had been a year since Sam and Joon had been living on their own. Everyone they knew had a driver's license and a car. They both had to take buses to get to places. Sam had to take a bus to work and back and when he needed to get things. Whenever Joon needed more paint or other art supplies, she would call Sam or Benny. Sometimes Ruthie got her things too she needed just to spare Benny and Sam.

"I wish I could drive," said Joon.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Don't you get tired of waiting for the bus and sometimes it never comes or it breaks down and if we had a car, it be a lot quick to get to places and back and you wouldn't have to worry about carrying all that art supplies on the bus for me," said Joon.

"But cars are expensive," said Sam. "How are we going to get a car?"

"I'll call Benny and tell him I want to get my license and I want a car."

Joon picked up the phone and called Benny.

Benny was in the kitchen cooking when his phone rang. He went and answered the phone and took it with him to the kitchen. He had a long extension phone cord. "Hello?"

"Benny?" Joon said.

"Hey Joon what's up?"

"I want to get my driver's license and I want a car."

"Joon, driving is a big responsibility," said Benny. "When you are behind the wheel, you are held responsible for accidents when you are at fault and cars are expensive to maintain and don't forget about the gas and the oil change, the tune up, needing new tires, and new windshield wipers."

"You can fix it when it needs it," Joon pointed out.

"I will charge you."

"Ruthie told me you didn't charge her for the labor when you fixed her car," Joon pointed out.

"That was different. That was my apology for turning her down for a relationship," Benny said.

After Joon had moved into her own apartment, Benny decided to try having a relationship with Ruthie. It lasted maybe six months and then it was over. Their interests were just different and they both wanted different things in their life so it made them incompatible but they stayed friends and in touch. She still went to the poker games.

"But I really want to be more independent. I don't like to keep having to call you or Sam or Ruthie to get me things," said Joon. "Besides Sam has been having bad luck with the Spokane Transit Authority. He was late to work three times so far this month and late to get home one day because the bus broke down. First it was the steering wheel fluid spraying out, then it was the breaks that went out, and then the engine was over heating-"

"Okay Joon, I will think about this okay and let you know," Benny interrupted.

"Okay thank you," said Joon.

"Okay see you soon, bye."

He hung up and went back to his cooking. He really should think about rather Joon could drive or not. He only said that to get her off the phone. He wasn't up for arguments.

"No Benny you can't be over protective of her," Benny told himself. Then he started to have a conversation with himself in his head. "But I don't want Joon to get in a car wreck and be held responsible. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. She's mentally ill."

"Benny will you relax, she isn't a child, she is an adult. She wants to be more independent."

"But what if she has one of her outbursts on the road and goes into road rage, she would also be held responsible for that. What if she starts hearing voices and starts screaming and takes her eyes off the road during one of her breakdowns?"

"Benny will you stop being so paranoid, Claudia drives, Jennifer drives."

"But they aren't sick."

Jennifer was an old friend of Ruthie's who had moved to Spokane last summer and Claudia was married to his friend Eric and pregnant with their first child. Claudia was deaf so she didn't speak and she only spoke in sign language or read lips. Jennifer had a undiagnosed condition so it made her function differently and view the world differentally than other people. Sam was different too. He was eccentric and had a reading disability. He probably had a undiagnosed condition too.

Joon was happy Benny would think about it. She hoped Benny would let her and help her. She wanted to get her license and have a car so she have more freedom.

"So what did Benny say?" Sam asked.

"He said he would think about it. I bet he will say yes and help me get a car and help me get my license. I will study for the test and ace it."

"Joon," said Sam.

"What?"

"Maybe I should get my license too so I can drive. You wouldn't have to do all the driving."

"Okay. That be great," said Joon.

* * *

_About Sam having bad luck with the transportation system, that was actually based on a real experience with my boyfriend in 2007. The bus broke down one time, and then another power steering fluid was spraying out, the light rail caught on fire, and other buses broke down on him and it was all in the same year. I just thought it was funny because he was having bad luck with Trimet here in Portland._ _Boy would I be mad at my boyfriend for being late to getting to my aunt's and uncle's house to see me back when I was still living with them but once he told about his "bus problem" I got over it and forgave him. He had a valid reason to be late._ _It wasn't his fault and he didn't plan it._

_Can deaf people drive? I'm not sure. After all they can't hear so would the DMV still let them drive?_


	2. Chapter 2

Benny kept thinking about rather Joon should drive or not. He would ask all his friends about it.

He went to work the next day and told Eric about what Joon had told him.

"Joon called me last night and told me she wants to be more independent," Benny said.

"So," said Eric.

"So she wants to get her driver's license and wants a car."

"That's cool."

"You really think so?" Benny asked.

"Yeah sure. It give you more freedom, no more having to get art supplies for her or food, she could do it herself."

"But what if she does something inappropriate on the road? She's sick."

"You worry too much," said Eric. "You let her live in her own apartment so why not let her drive?"

"Because driving is a big responsibility and living on your own is less responsibility. Her home doesn't move."

"But she could light things on fire and burn the whole complex down and you aren't worried about that. She could still wander off and do disturbing things to the public and you aren't worried about that so why not let her drive?"

"Okay," said Benny. "I see your point.

After work that day, Benny called Ruthie on his cell phone. He had gotten one not too long ago. Ruthie's friend had one so why not get one of his own. It made things more convenient than looking for a payphone. Ruthie still didn't have a cell phone so he had to call her apartment. She wasn't home yet so he headed back to his house. He called Jennifer to see if she thinks Joon should drive.

"Hello?" she said.

"Jen," Benny said. "Is this a good time to talk for a moment?"

He had to make sure he wasn't calling her at the wrong time. She hated unexpected phone calls and being kept from what she was doing.

"Sure," she said.

"Joon had called me last night telling me she wants to be more independent."

"Oh, how so?"

"She wants to get her license."

"How can she want one? She doesn't even have a car," she said in astonishment.

"She wants a car too."

"How is she going to afford one? Have Sam buy one? His job is minimum wage, I doubt he can afford it."

"Just stick to the topic," Benny told her.

"I am on topic or I can start talking about elephants, now that be off topic," she said.

"Do you think I should let Joon drive?"

"She can't afford a car I don't think," she said.

"But what if she could afford a car, do you think she should drive?"

"Yes."

"Why you say that?"

"Because I think she might be capable, she doesn't seem like she's incapable of doing it," she said.

"But she lights things on fire, she does disturbing things to the public. You don't think she have any outbursts on the road or do road rage when she gets mad or do disturbing things as she drives?"

"I don't know."

"Do you still think she should drive?"

"I don't know. Why not let her and have her make her own mistakes?"

"She's sick," Benny pointed out. "I don't want her to get in trouble if she does something wrong and what if she gets pulled over and has an outburst with the officer? What if she assaults him? She could have charges pressed against her. That be bad," and he shuttered.

"You let her live in her own apartment and were you worried about her doing disturbing things to the public then?"

"You have a point," Benny said. "Even Eric said the same thing. I appreciate your time so I will get going now. Bye."

"Bye," Jennifer said and she hung up.

Benny put his phone back on the thing.

He waited an hour before he called Ruthie again to see if she was home. She was.

"Hello?" she said when she picked up.

"Hi Ruthie," Benny said. "Joon called me last night."

"What did she say?" Ruthie asked.

"She told me she wants to drive."

"Oh?"

"Yeah and I'm not sure if I should let her or not. I mean she's sick and she is prone to having outbursts and what if she has them on the road? That could lead her to road rage. What if she gets pulled over and she gets upset she assaults the officer? I don't want her to get arrested and have it go on her criminal record."

"You worry too much," said Ruthie. "I think she would do fine on the road. You let her live here so why not let her drive?"

"Jen and Eric said the same thing," said Benny. "You have a point."

"So you're calling everyone you know to see if we all think rather Joon should drive or not?" Ruthie asked.

"Yeah," said Benny. "But I'm leaving out Mike. I'll save him for when I want to brag."

Mike was a jerk Eric and Thomas had as their poker buddy at their poker games they held at Eric's house. He was Sam's cousin and put him in the pot to get rid of him and tricked Jennifer into putting her son in the pot too by telling her it was perfectly safe and legal or was he really being nice by trying to help her? Who knew, he didn't seem to get you can't bet a human being after he put Sam in the pot. He also was mean to him, Joon, and Jennifer but he was just a jerk. He was pretty much mean to anyone. He had been mean to Ruthie too before and to Claudia. Jennifer just loved ripping on him and picking fights with him and it be a bully match between those two. One day they all watched them insult each other back and forth so it was like a insult match. They all sat and watched them. Ruthie didn't like it but her friend liked insulting him and she kept on doing it even after Ruthie has told her he isn't worth it. Now he hardly came to the games. He didn't want to be there when she be there and everyone likes it when she start insulting him and then her boyfriend takes her side. One time he got a punch in the stomach by him for saying something mean to her. It wasn't fair, how come she is "stupid" and gets to be better than him? She has a bigger apartment, a cell phone before them, and now is dating a rich guy.

"Okay," Ruthie chuckled. She thought it was funny when he said he would save Mike for when he wants to brag. "You can brag to him about when Joon does get her lisence. Get her a car that is better than Mike's so you have something good to brag about."

"Okay," Benny said.

After he hung up, he called Thomas. He should be home. He was because he had answered. "Hello?"

"Thomas," said Benny. "I need to ask you something."

"Okay."

"Joon called me last night and told me she wants to be more independent. She wants to drive."

"Really?" Thomas asked.

"Yes," said Benny. "Do you think she should?"

"She doesn't have a license," Thomas said.

"I know that but she wants to get one and she wants a car too."

"Oh."

"Do you think she can do it?"

"Can she afford one in her budget?" Thomas asked.

"I might help her out," Benny said. "But I want your opinion if you think I should let her drive."

"Sure why not," said Thomas. "She knows right from wrong so I think she be capable of understanding the rules of driving and know the consequences to her actions if she does them."

"But she has directed traffic a few times," Benny cried. "So how will I know she won't do something disturbing on the road when she drives? What if someone upsets her on the road, she might go into road rage and what if she gets pulled over by the officer, she might have an outburst and hit him."

"Well she is an adult so it's her choice, let her decide, just make sure she is aware of the consequences for her actions if she does them," Thomas told him.

"Okay, thanks for your opinion and suggestion. Bye."

"Bye," said Thomas.

They both hung up.

Now Benny had to pick up the phone and call Joon to tell her the news.

* * *

_Okay I went into a little detail about the poker game and felt like doing some Mike bashing again. We all hate Mike. Ah poor Mikey, someone he thinks is stupid is better than him because she has things he doesn't have. _


	3. Chapter 3

Joon got a phone call from her brother. Sam rushed to the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Is Joon there?" Benny asked.

"Joon, it's your brother," Sam said.

Joon was sitting at the table eating her dinner. She got out of her seat and went to the phone. "Hello?"

"Joon, I talked to everyone and they all think you should be allowed to drive," Benny told her.

"Really?" Joon said excitedly. "That means I can get a car and get my license?"

"Yes Joon but you do knowing driving is a big responsibility and you are held accountable for your actions on the road and when you get in a wreck, you are held responsible if you are at fault," Benny warned.

"Yes Benjamin I know," Joon said.

"I'm just making sure you understand. I will stop at the DMV and pick up a driver's Manuel for you to study. You need to study for the written test and when you pass it, then you need to pass the driver's test."

"Sam wants to get his lisence too," Joon said.

"He does? Okay I will pick up two Manuels then."

"How am I going to get a car?" Joon asked.

"Well I was thinking I can go the junkyard and pick out a car and fix it up in my shop and replace all the parts that need to be replaced and it be your birthday present."

Joon got very excited and started to jump up and down.

"Really?" she shouted. "Oh thank you Benjamin."

"I will make sure it looks nicer than Mike's, now we would both have something to brag about."

"I don't care about that guy," said Joon. "I'm not in a competition with him for the best looking car."

Even she didn't like him so she thought he was a waste of her time. Jennifer is just foolish for wasting her time arguing with him and shooting him down with her bullying and insults to him just because he did them to her. But she said she liked picking fights with jerks because it's fun.

"Okay," said Benny. "Would you like to go to the junkyard then, you and Sam so you can pick out a car you want and I'll have it towed to my garage?"

"Okay," said Joon.

"We'll do it this weekend but I might have to borrow money from the bank if I don't have enough so don't think a car will leave that junk yard that day."

"Okay," Joon said again.

"I'll see you two tomorrow when I drop off the manuals, bye."

"Bye," Joon said as she hung up. "Benny said yes," she told Sam.

"That's great," said Sam.

He gave her a hug and patted her back.  
"Benny is going to drop off the driver manuals for us to study," Joon said.

Sam froze. Reading. He hated reading, it was too hard. "I'm going to have to read?" Sam asked afraid.

"Yeah, you have to take a written test to get your license."

Sam grew pale.

"It's okay," said Joon. "I'll help you. I can read the questions to you and the answers and you pick one of them. I will read the manuel to you. We'll study together."

"Okay," Sam said.

He was happy Joon was going to make it easier for him. She was such a sweetheart.


	4. Chapter 4

Benny stopped by at the DMV office the next day on the way to work. He grabbed two driver's manuals and headed out to his car. He put them in the passenger seat and headed to work.

-

After work that day, Benny stopped at Ruthie's building and dropped off the driver manuals at Sam and Joon's. He knocked on the door and Joon answered it. Benny handed her the manuals. "Here you go," he said.

Joon hugged him. "Thank you Benny," she said.

She was so happy she was going to get her license.

"Let me know when you want to take the test," he said. "Read the manual and study for it."

"I will Benjamin," she said.

"See ya, bye," said Benny.

"Bye," said Joon as she closed the door.

She was too excited to even go back to her painting so she sat down on the couch and opened the manual and started to read. Sam should be home soon.

Benny was over at Ruthie's apartment visiting her. he told her about how he decided Joon can get her license and told her about he was going to get a car out of the junk yard and fix it up for Joon and it be her birthday present.

"That's great," said Ruthie.

"I hope the state of Washington will let her drive," said Benny.

"Why wouldn't they?" Ruthie asked.

"Because she's sick."

"So."

"So they might say she can't drive because of it."

"She isn' that sick."

Joon's illness was mild but ever since she had been with Sam, she had been a lot calmer and functioned more normally ever since but she still had her episodes. Sam loved her too much to leave, plus they were going to get married. They had decided on a small wedding, maybe have it at Benny's house and then go to Fergusons where Ruthie works and celebrate, have their party there and they would have a huge regular cake. They would invite, Benny, Ruthie, Sam's boss, Eric and his wife and their upcoming child, Jennifer and her son.

Sam and Joon enjoyed having her child around, she dumped him off eveytime she be with her boyfriend. Joon figured maybe it was a man and woman thing they wanted to do and they didn't want him there or maybe they're doing kinky stuff. What kind of parent always dumps her kid off somewhere when her boyfriend would come over or when she goes sees him? It was obvious they were doing something else than spending time alone together. Why couldn't she just move in with her boyfriend? She couldn't move because her lease wasn't up. At least she was happy. When she first moved to Spokane, she was a mess. She was uptight, stressed, suffered a nervous breakdown, and she wasn't a pleasant person. Then when she had a two week break from her kid, she calmed down and then Peter, her boyfriend, walked into her life and she was even happier. Peter was also different and had a undiagnosed condition. Maybe they should invite him too. After all he was Jennifer's boyfriend. Jason also really liked him. They were both best friends. He even got him a electronic drum set for Christmas. Jason loved to drum so he was always drumming his hands on the table or on buckets at Eric's house he had when his mother go there for the poker game.

"What is that racket?" Mike asked one time.

"Drums," said Peter.

"It's sounds like noise to me, tell him to stop."

"It's not bothering me," said Jennifer.

"Me neither," said Joon.

"Is it bothering anyone?" Peter asked.

"No," everyone said except Claudia and Mike.

"Well it's bothering me, tell him to stop," Mike cried.

Jason was in the house drumming on the buckets Eric had given him to give him something to do.

"Why's it bothersome to you Mike?" Eric said. "It's just sticks hitting the buckets."

"And that's why it's annoying."

"So would it make a difference if he was banging on real drums?" Benny asked.

"Yeah," said Mike. "At least it be something."

"But how is banging on buckets any different?" Ruthie asked. "Drums are noise too."

"I'll show him," Mike said as he got up.

He headed in the house.

"No you leave him alone," Peter said as he started to go after him but Jennifer grabbed him and told him to let Mike be.

"Why? He is going to stop Jason from playing," Peter pointed out.

"Just wait, you'll see," Jennifer told him.

Then they all heard Jason yelling in the kitchen. "Hey don't leave me alone," he yelled.

"Give me those," Mike shouted.

Jason was still screaming and then it was silent. The drumming started again. But Mike never came out. Eric decided to go inside and see what was going on. Mike was standing beside the counter top holding himself down there.

"Got beamed by an eight year old huh?" said Eric.

"Leave. Me. Alone," said Mike quietly still in agony.

"What did you do to him Jason?" Eric asked.

"Nothing," he said as he kept drumming.

"Come on, you can tell me."

"I didn't do anything," Jason said again.

"Did he hit you down there?" Eric asked Mike.

Mike didn't say anything. He was too embarrassed.

Eric headed back to the screen porch.

"Looks like your son got him good Jen," Eric told her.

"What did he do?" Ruthie asked.

"I'm not sure but Mike was holding himself down there."

Everyone got the hint and started laughing. Jennifer knew Jason had hit him down there. With his foot or with the sticks or with his fists. Jason hit when he got mad or got bothered by other people. Especially if people tried stopping him from doing his thing, especially favorite things.

Jennifer didn't care about Mike so she figured Jason would put up a good fight with Mike when he tried stopping him but she wasn't expecting he get him down there.

Then Mike came back out. "I'm leaving," he said. "And she's too lazy to do her job," Mike pointed to Jennifer.

"Ah you want her to punish poor wittle Jason for getting you down there?" Peter teased.

"I'm too stupid to even know how to punish my child," said Jennifer.

Eric, Benny, Ruthie, Sam, and Thomas all laughed. Joon caught the giggles too.

Mike had called her stupid before so Jennifer used it as a comeback.

Mike headed out to his car.

-

"I hope you're right," Benny told Ruthie. "I just won't tell them she is sick. Sam shouldn't tell them either he has a reading disability, they could also say he can't drive."

"Lot of dyslexics drive Benny," said Ruthie.

"But is theirs bad as Sam's? I mean he can barely read so reading road signs would be a challenge and what is he going to do? Pull over at every road sign so he could try and read it?"

"I'm sure Joon will help him study," said Ruthie.

"But how is he going to take the test? They're not going to let him take it home and do it."

"Joon will help."

"But are they going to let Joon read it to him and the questions and have him pick the answer? They might think he can't drive because of it because reading is required on the road."

"Unless you memorize the routes and what the signs mean like the speed limit limit signs, he can read numbers, and stop signs, interstate signs."

"But how is he going to go to new places? He is going to have to read maps and the street names and that is going to be hard for him."

"Joon will help," said Ruthie. "You worry too much. I'm sure they will do fine. We'll play it by ear."

"Maybe I should hold off getting a car for Joon because I need to make sure she can get her license or Sam, one of them."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Ruthie.

"I hope Joon won't mind," said Benny.

* * *

_Sorry guys, I just had to do some Mike bashing again. I thought it be funny he get nailed by a kid. I wonder if I will ever run out of ideas how to torture Mike just like South Park people ran out of ideas how to kill Kenny. _


	5. Chapter 5

Sam came home late again.

"You're late," said Joon.

She wasn't happy about it.

"We had a tire blow out on the bus," Sam explained.

"Really?" Joon asked. "This is the fifth time now this month."

"Yeah, and we were all stuck waiting for them to come with the new bus and I decided ah screw it I'm walking home so I walked the three miles. Now my feet are sore."

Sam sat down. "Will you take my shoes off and massage them?"

Joon took off his shoes and started to rub his feet.

"Ah that feels good," Sam sighed.

Joon kept massaging them.

"Ah ah ah, mmm, ah," Sam said.

What was going on with the Spokane Transit Authority? Was it all a coincidence or was someone tampering with the buses? The STA had some investigation to do. They had cameras on the bus so they had decided they would start watching the videos and look for any suspicious activity. They also decided they should install some cameras at the garages when they aren't running to catch anything suspicious. Or maybe the buses were just getting old and it was time to replace them. After all they had been driving them since the early seventies so it had a lot of mileage on it even though the STA was founded in 1980.

So a meeting was scheduled to be held the following month for all STA staff. Spokaners were welcome to come too if they had any questions or concerns.

It was even on the news about their bus problems. It was a shame Sam and Joon didn't watch the news because other buses had been having problems too besides the ones Sam had been on.

The first bus problem Sam had ever experienced was when Joon had her breakdown back when she was living with Benny. She was running away with Sam and she started to hear voices, so she flipped out and had a breakdown and Sam had to tell the driver to stop the bus. But when he stopped, Joon wouldn't get off so the bus driver had to call the STA quarters and report a woman on the bus having a "tantrum" so they called the police and a ambulance was sent over and Joon was taken to the hospital.

Benny had called Joon telling her he would like to hold off getting her a car until she gets her license.

"Benny, I will get my license," she said.

"I just want to make sure you do. I don't want to waste my money getting you one and then the state of Washington decides you're unable to drive."

"Why? Because I'm sick?" Joon yelled.

"Yes," Benny said.

Joon started to get upset.

"Joon, sweetie, even if I did get you one now, you still wouldn't be able to drive it so we'll mind as well wait," said Benny.

Luckily Sam was home so he saw Joon was getting upset so he took the phone from her. "Hello?" he said.

"Sam," Benny said. "I was just telling her I wanted to hold off getting her a car because I want to make sure she can get her license."

"I'm going to get mine too," Sam told him.

"I know but what if the state of Washington decides you can't drive either because you needed help with your test?"

"I will get my license," said Sam. "You don't really read when you're on the road. You just know the routes and that's it."

"But you need to read road signs to help you get to places and be able to read maps but I've known people who can't read maps or have troubles with them and they still had their licences. You need to be able to read detour signs," Benny said.

"Joon will help me," said Sam.

"But what if she isn't with you?"

"I'm sure she would come with me to make sure I make it there safe and back."

Then Benny heard Sam snap at the other end. "Oh no," he said and Benny heard the phone drop.

Benny heard something in the background and then Sam came back to the phone. "Joon lit something on fire."

"Oh you better go then," Benny said. "I don't want her to burn the whole place down."

"Bye," said Sam.

"Bye," said Benny and he hung up.

Benny had to head on over there to make sure everything was okay. He headed out to his car.

Joon had a candle lit and she had lit a piece of paper towel on fire. Sam knew to not bug her when she is upset. He remembered the lesson he had learn on the bus. Don't ever tell her to "calm down" or else it make it worse. They didn't work on Ruthie's friend either or on her son. It also made their outbursts worse or their meltdowns. Peter had told them he just ignores it unless she starts hurting herself or throwing things. He just holds her and waits till she is calmer. With the help from her therapist, she had given her some techniques to help her calm down so she doesn't carry on and recommended her some games she could play.

Every time Sam had problems with Joon, he would call Benny and he would come over and help. If she was too out of control, he called her doctor and she would come and give her a shot to help calm her down and she be put to bed but luckily that didn't happen very often.

Benny had finally came over. He knocked on their apartment door. Sam answered it and Benny came right inside. "Is Joon alright?" Benny asked.

"Not really," said Sam.

Joon was sitting at the table rocking back and forth and looking down at the table.

The candle was still lit.

"Has she lit anymore things on fire?" Benny asked.

"No," said Sam.

Joon hadn't but she did light more paper towels on fire and Sam had to keep putting them out. He didn't want the place to burn down.

"Joon, are you alright?" Benny asked.

Joon didn't answer.

"I know you're mad at me but I want to make sure the State of Washington will let you get your lisence. I don't want to get you a car and then I find out they won't let you drive," Benny said.

"I can drive when I get mine," said Sam.

"But what if they also say you can't either?" Benny said to him.

"Then you can always sell the car," Sam suggested.

A light bulb went off in Benny's head. Why didn't he think of that before? He can fix it up and sell it if the state decides they can't drive because of their mental conditions.


	6. Chapter 6

_Okay I was on imcdb and I discover Ruthie was not driving a Mustang, it was a 1970 Ford Maverick. My ex and my bf had told me it was a Mustang. I also learned Benny drove a 1970 El Camino, not a '78. _

_If you ever plan on going to Spokane, don't count on seeing a bunch of old cars. It's only for this story because the movie had a bunch of old cars in it despite showing two modern vehicles up close. The police car and the ambulance. But I swear I have seen a few other modern cars in the background but I was never sure. _

* * *

Benny had taken Sam and Joon to the junkyard that Saturday. Jason was with them. They were babysitting him again that day while his mother was out doing her thing. Sam and Joon didn't mind having Jason whenever she want to be alone or go out with Peter. Sometimes she just leave him with them over night because she stay the night at Peter's. One time she left him with them during spring break and didn't come back till the day before school started again. Ruthie used to have problems with it but seeing Sam and Joon didn't mind, and the fact Jennifer had her own problems and being a single parent is a lot of work, they were both happy. Jason didn't mind being dumped at Sam and Joon's and when they said 'anytime' they meant it. Peter paid Sam and Joon for watching him so he was making more money instead of making it from his current job. It didn't matter who he paid because Sam and Joon both shared the same bank account.

Benny, Sam and Joon were walking around looking at the old cars. There were hardly any from the nineties. Jason was running around looking at old cars being fascinated by them and feeling sorry for them. He had empathy for objects. He climbed on the cars and starting jumping on every single one of them.

"Jason, no get down from there," Benny said. "You might hurt yourself."

Jason didn't listen so Benny tried again. He had to be logical.

"You might fall and hurt yourself, maybe break your leg or arm," Benny said. "Your mother might never want us to watch you again because we let you get hurt."

Jason jumped off the car. He didn't want to not ever see Sam and Joon again.

He climbed inside one of them and pretended he was driving.

Sam and Joon kept looking. Then they saw a yellow slug bug from the late 1960's. "Oh I like this one," said Joon. "But I hate yellow, that was the color Ted Bundy drove and the same model. I don't want to own a same car a serial killer owned."

"I doubt it's the same car Joon," said Benny.

"But it looks like it and I don't want to drive the same color model he had. Can you paint it another color?"

"Lets go look around more, maybe we'll find another bug," Benny said.

So they looked around some more.

"Jason, come on," Sam called. "We don't want you to get separated from us."

Jason got out of the car and kept looking at the other cars. Lot of them were wrecked, had parts missing from them. Lot of them were even totaled.

Sam tried finding old cars from the 1920's and 30's but there were none. Most of them were from the 1950's 60's and 70's. Some of them were even from the eighties. They maybe saw about five cars from the current decade. Most Spokaners used old cars anyway from the 80's and 70's. Their city was still using the 1970's flxible buses. Benny had a 1970 El Camino, Ruthie had a 1970 Ford Maverick, Jennifer had a 1984 Plymouth Horizen, Eric had a 1981 Toyota pick up, Claudia had a 1979 Mercedes Benz, Thomas had a 1977 Datsun, and Mike had a 1977 Lincoln Continental.

They kept looking. The place was noisy because it was right next to the freeway that went through Spokane . It was the only freeway that ran through the city.

Then Joon found a car she liked.

"Are you sure about this?" Benny asked.

"Yes," said Joon.

Benny looked at the 1987 Nissan Stanza. It was a four person car shaped like a station wagon. It was more of a small family car.

"It looks like I could fix it up," said Benny.

The car was only smashed in the front and it had parts missing. "I can replace the seats in it and all the parts," said Benny. "It's going to be expensive but I won't charge you for the labor. It be your birthday present. I will take it to my garage and fix it up for you two."

"That car's ugly," said Jason.

"It will look nice when I fix it up," said Benny. "Lets go to the front and tell the guy we found a car we like to buy."

They went back to the building and they had the guy who was working there come out and looked at the car. He sold it to Benny for two hundred dollars.

"It was in a wreck last year and the family had it towed here and the insurance gave them a check for a new car," the guy told him as Benny was writing out the check. "The damage cost more than the car was worth so they had it totaled."

Not too many Spokaners had modern cars. For some reason they were devoted to their old cars and kept them fixed up. Even car dealers there sold used cars there from the 1970's and 1980's.

So the tow truck was brought into the yard and they put the car on it and Benny told them where he wanted them to take it too. So it cost Benny extra and the Nissan was hauled to his shop. Now Benny had to order parts for it and find seats to put in the car and but new body parts for the car and auto paint.

Benny, Jason, and Sam all left the junk yard and headed home. They all had to squeeze into his El Camino. Joon sat in the middle with her helmet on and Sam sat on the passenger side with Jason on his lap.

Benny dropped them off at their apartment.


	7. Chapter 7

_Something wrong with the system again so for some reason it keeps putting some words together, especially after I correct them. When I hit save, words get stuck together again so expect some stuck together words._

* * *

June had approached and school had gotten out for the summer. Sam had already had a birthday and Ruthie was nice to bake him a cake for his birthday. Jason had gotten him an old movie for his birthday, Joon had gotten him a new tennis racket so he could make mashed potatoes. Ruthie had gotten him an old movie poster from Boo Radleys. It was a new movie poster but it was a remake.

Joon had saved something special for Sam for last. She had gotten him some children books for him to read, the ones that would be easy for him. They were no more than above the third grade reading level. Jason could read at the 5th grade level despite he had just finished third grade.

Sam and Joon had been studying for the test. Joon would read the manual to Sam and she would answer questions in it that would be on the test. After she got through reading it, she went through the questions and answers with Sam and had him pick one of them. Joon was killing two birds with one stone. She was studying for the test herself while she was helping Sam study.

Benny had hardly worked on the car. He did order new parts for it but he had been too busy working on other cars, so he worked on it in his spare time. He had to order 1987 parts for the car model and had to look in the book and find seats to buy for the car.

Joon's birthday was coming up too at the end of the month so Benny doubt he would have her car done on time but she could wait. If she passed the written test, it wouldn't matter if she had to wait for her car to get done because she still wouldn't be able to drive if she did get her license. She would have no car to drive.

Spokane Transport Authority had held a meeting at River Park Square. The chief spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "It's wonderful you all could make it. The issues we have been having is our buses keep breaking down. Breaks going out, steering fluid spraying out, tire blow outs, engine over heating, oil leaks, doors jamming, so I think it's time we get new buses."

People started to talk. Lot of them were disappointed.

"I know we are all devoted to our old buses but I'm afraid we have to upgrade unless he can find vintage buses and paint them our color. We need a proposal for new buses. If we can't find vintage ones to buy, we will have no choice but to buy current model ones."

The majority there were disappointed they had to replace their buses. They were just getting too old to maintain and they kept breaking down so it was better to replace them than being late to work or having to wait longer for the bus. Reliable transportation was better than being late going somewhere. But why couldn't they just keep maintaining them just they they did to their old cars?

* * *

Joon had kept studying and decided she was ready to take the written test so she called Benny.

"Hello?" he said at work when he answered the phone.

"I'm ready for my test," Joon said.

"The written test for your license?" Benny asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? Your car isn't even close to being done."

"You haven't been working on it?" Joon asked.

"Joon, I'm a busy guy. I had to order parts for the car and I am busy working on other cars, I can't work on yours at work, I can only do it in my spare time. Plus I had to take it apart and toss out broken parts. I took off the front and the brace. I also had to order those. I still haven't found any seats yet for the car."

"I want to take the written test just to get it out of the way," said Joon.

"Even if you do pass it, you still wouldn't have a car to pass the driving test."

"I can't use yours?"

"What would be the point? Even if you do pass, you still won't have a car," Benny pointed out.

"I still want to take the test."

"Okay fine, I will take you in or have Ruthie take you in to take the written test. They are closed on the weekends."

"Okay, when will that be?"

"I don't know yet. I work so it's hard to take you to take the test because of my work hours. Maybe I'll have Jennifer take you. I would just call her and let her know ahead of time so she doesn't freak out."

"Doesn't she also work?" Joon pointed out.

"Yes but she works in her car too so maybe she can take you there as she is working and she be killing two birds with one stone. Or you can take yourself there."

"I don't trust the buses. Sam has been having bad luck with them," Joon said.

"That's because they're hitting six foot under," Benny said. "Vehicles start breaking down after getting so many mileage."

"You car is a 1970" Joon pointed out, "and it runs good."

"I don't know, it gets too expensive to keep replacing parts so it's cheaper for them to get new buses."

"I want to take the test, let me know when I am going to be taken there," Joon said again.

"Alright," said Benny. "I will see what I can do. I call you later, bye."

Jason wasn't over at her apartment. He was over at camp Faltskog Peter ran during the summer on his land. He was going to be there the whole summer so it was like Jennifer had a whole summer break from her boy. But him being gone all summer, she would miss him because it be more than a few weeks so she got to see him when she be over there visiting with Peter. Peter didn't charge Jennifer for having Jason at his camp. No kid there picked on him because they all knew his mother was dating Peter so they acted like he was a royal prince there. They didn't care about his quirks or rudeness or how weird he came off as. They didn't even care when he start talking about dinosaurs.

After seeing Jurassic Park with Peter and his mother, he had gotten into dinosaurs and wanted to know more about them, so Jennifer took him to the library and checked out a few books on them and Jason read them and learned about them. He had moved on from Home Alone to Jurassic Park and dinosaurs. It was a relief for her to hear something new finally. Now she was stuck hearing about him talk about dinosaurs so that got old. Jason also had a mental condition except he was diagnosed. His mother shared his condition too but she never went for a diagnoses because it meant getting told what is wrong with her and what she does isn't "normal." She didn't need to hear how much of a freak she is, she had already been told by her therapist what she has difficulty with other people can normally do. Peter didn't care about labels so he wasn't interested in knowing what is wrong with him and why he had always been weird. He knew his girlfriend was different and her son but he didn't care. At least they both didn't see him as weird. Other people had always thought he was weird until he started his career. He was a famous singer and musician. Lot of singers were weird so people thought it was his persona.

Because Peter was busy with the camp, it was stressful for Jennifer because it felt like he had no time for her so she was left alone in his house. Peter had explained to her it was only for the summer and he is just busy is all. They would get time together that night and told her to not worry and kissed her. He even told her she could hang out with him as he is busy with the camp so that's what Jennifer did.

Every week, kids would leave and new kids would come by and get dropped off by their parents or buses that came from Idaho or Montana or down from Canada and from other parts of Washington.

One bus even came from Oregon from the Portland area. Jason even made a new friend. He met a girl who was obsessed with volcanoes and she was also quirky and was an outcast and barely had friends and she also got teased in school. She kept talking about Mt St Helens being erupted back in 1980 and talking about how the Hawaiian islands were formed. Kids got sick of her talking about volcanoes but didn't mind Jason talking about his obsession. The girl didn't understand why she was being treated different. Why was it okay for him but not her? She just didn't see how Jason was special because his mother was in a relationship with the guy who ran the camp. To her, he was just another kid, not some special one. So she ran away from camp one day and hid in the forest.

The staff had to go looking for her. Jennifer looked for her too with Peter. Then she took off and went on her own adventure. She kept walking and then she heard some sniffling. She followed the sound and found the girl sitting on a log crying.

"Hi," Jennifer said.

The girl didn't say anything.

"Are you Lindsay?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes," she cried.

"Everyone is looking for you," Jennifer said. "What's wrong?"

"Every body hates me," she said.

"Why?" Jennifer asked.

"I don't know. Everyone hates me for no reason. They all say I'm mean and weird," Lindsay cried.

"I got the same thing too from other kids when I was your age," said Jennifer. "Kids also thought I was mean and weird. I had all these labels on me. Retarded, rude, strange, stupid, idiot, insane, all sorts of stuff. Do you have lot of friends at home?"  
"No," she said.

"Why not?"

"Lot of kids hate me," she said again.

"Do you have any idea why?"

"I'm different."

"Well you do need to come back to camp," Jennifer informed.

"I don't want to. Kids will tease me again."

"Is that why you left?"

"Yes and they treat me different too. It's okay for this one boy to talk about dinosaurs but they are mean to me when I talk about volcanoes."

"Are volcanoes your special interest?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes."

"Do you talk about them a lot?"

"Yes."

"That's probably why. No one wants to hear us talk about the same thing over and over so we have to learn to not talk about them so often. I did the same thing when I was a kid. I would only talk about what I wanted to talk about and not want to talk about anything else other kids wanted to talk about."

"But this one boy talks about dinosaurs a lot and they are nice to him still."

"Oh you mean Jason," said Jennifer. "He's my son so they are giving him special treatment just because I'm dating the owner of the camp."

"He's so lucky. I wish my dad were the owner of this camp," Lindsay cried.

"Well let me tell you something. When Jason came here last year, I wasn't dating Peter then so Jason did get teased here and picked on but Peter stayed with him all the time so other kids wouldn't pick on him and they left him alone."

"I wish he stay with me too then."

"Well I can," Jennifer offered.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Jennifer nodded. "You seem to be my long lost twin."

"I don't have a twin."

"It was a phrase. It means you are a lot like me from when I was a kid."

Lindsay still didn't understand but she let Jennifer take her back to camp.

When they got back, they had to wait till Peter and all the staff got back. She took him in Peter's house. Jennifer showed Lindsay a Disney movie, Dumbo. "You like Dumbo?"

"Yes," Lindsay said.

"It's my favorite," said Jennifer.

"You like Dumbo? But that's a kids movie."

"Disney's for everyone. I'm sure you have noticed in the Disney movies some minor violence and deaths, Bambi's mother died. The wicked queen died, there is smoking in them, child abuse, name calling, see it's for everyone."

"There's no child abuse in Disney," said Lindsay.

"There is in Snow White and Cinderella. Did you see how the stepmothers treated them?"

"They're not children."

"They were abused as children and it continued when they became adults until they got rescued by their prince."

"I thought Snow White ran away?"

Jennifer put Dumbo in. "She did but then the wicked stepmother tried to kill her when she found out she was still alive hiding at the seven dwarfs house and then she was a deep sleep until the prince came and kissed her."

They both watched Dumbo until Peter came back inside to see if Jennifer was there. He found her on the couch with Lindsay.

"You found her," said Peter. "Where was she?"

"In the forest," Jennifer said.

"I'm happy you're okay Lindsay," Peter told her. "Don't ever take off again. We were all worried."

"She told me kids were teasing her so she left," Jennifer said.

"Oh those punks," said Peter. "Kids are cruel and vindictive. Should I be with her all the time?"

"She said she was going to be," Lindsay pointed at Jennifer.

"But I'm going to have to leave soon," Jennifer said. "I have to work but I will be here in the evenings and on the weekends unless I have an article to write."

"But you said you be with me," Lindsay cried.

"I did but I didn't say I would be with you all day long."

So Jennifer stayed with Lindsay for the rest of the evening until she had to head back home. She would come back the next day and stay with Lindsay. They bonded together and became friends. They both seemed to be lot alike except Jennifer had learned to not talk about her obsessions so much. She didn't mind hearing about her volcanoes but she got to talk about her own special interests, elephants and her favorite movie Dumbo. Lindsay didn't really listen about her elephants but thought it was interesting Jennifer got to ride one when she was a kid and at the Spokane County Fair.

"I didn't know you can ride an elephant," Lindsay said. "I thought you could only ride horses."

"You can ride elephants too," Jennifer said. "Did you know some countries use them for capital punishment?"

"What's capital punishment?"

"It's when they put you to death. They have the elephant stomp on them when they put them to death."

"Why?"

"I don't know, for breaking a law. You know what a law is right?"

"The rules of our country?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know they kill you for breaking rules of our country."

"Here they only do that if you kill someone or do treason. We used to put people to death for rape but not anymore."

"What's rape?"

"When you force someone to have sex with you or when you tie them up and have sex with them and they didn't want it."

"What's sex?"

"It's a grown up thing. Ask your parents when you get home."

"They won't tell me," Lindsay said.

"Well I guess they think you're still too young but I can't tell you or else they might get mad at me if they found out I told you."

Lindsay didn't even ask her "why" or keep trying to get her to answer. With Jason, that be hard because he never wanted to leave his questions unanswered so he would keep asking her "why" until he got it. He had to know everything.

When that week ended, Jennifer was sad to see her go. Jason was sad too see his friend leave. They had both hung out together and were partners when they play with the instruments. Jennifer was happy to see Jason had made a new friend his own age even though she was only eight and he was nine. He had a birthday the month before and they all celebrated it at Dominicks in downtown. Ruthie, Benny, Peter, Sam, and Joon were all there with them.

Jennifer saw Jason had started to cry.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I don't want my friend to leave," he cried.

"But she has to, her time is up here so it's time for her to head home."

"But I would never see her again."

"You can always write to her."

Then Jason felt better. "Really?"

"Yeah."

So Jennifer got a pad and pen and asked Lindsay if she would like to keep in touch with Jason by writing to him.

"Sure," she said.

Jennifer asked her for her address. Lindsay gave it to her as she wrote it down.

"There Jason, now you won't lose her as a friend," Jennifer told him. "I will keep it in my purse so we don't lose it."

Lindsay went to the bus with her stuff that would take her back to Portland but she didn't live in Portland, she lived in Washington right across the river. Parents took their kids there where they got on the bus that took them to camp and now they were going to have to go there again to pick them up.

Jennifer went back in Peter's house and grabbed a bunch of empty envelopes and wrote Lindsay's address on them and put stamps on each of one of them. She put them in the guest bedroom Jason slept in. It had pretty much became his room. It had all his clothes there and his stuff such as his video games, and his toys but most of it was building stuff. Jason hardly did pretend play but spent time lining up his cars and action figures and dinosaur figures she and Peter had gotten him. Some of them were Jurassic Park toys. She put the envelopes on the table.


	8. Chapter 8

Ruthie took Sam and Joon to the DMV where they could take their written test. She dropped them off as she headed to work. Ruthie had to work night shift again to close the diner. Sam and Joon checked in at the counter and told the lady behind there they were there to take the written test.

"You need to provide three things for your proof of residence.," she said. "You need to show your address such as bring something here from your mail, if you have an sort of ID, bring it here."

Sam also took out his ID and showed it to the lady. She took it and read it. It had his name and address, and his picture. Joon also had her regular ID too. Benny had told her to not show them her medical alert card because they might say she can't drive because of it. But she still carried her medical alert card just in case.

She reached into her pouch she wore around her waist and took out her ID and handed it to the lady.

"Okay, now I need some sort of other proof. Your mailing address."

"Our mailing address is on there," Joon pointed.

"I know but I have to go by the rules," the lady said.

Joon got upset. Sam saw it and grabbed their IDs and took her outside so she wouldn't have an episode in there. Sam put his arm around her. "Joon, it's okay," he said. "We'll head home and look through our mail and see what we can find and we'll come back."

They headed for the bus stop. "No I don't want to ride on the bus," Joon cried.

"Joon, we have to," said Sam. "It's too far to walk."

"But I don't trust the authority," she said.

"At least it give us a boost and if it does breakdown again, we wouldn't have to walk as far," Sam assured Joon.

Joon grabbed at her hair. Sam walked her to the nearest bus stop.

They waited ten minutes for the bus. When it came, Sam put a quarter in for Joon and showed the bus driver his bus pass and sat down.

They rode home without having any bus problems but Joon was tensed all along worrying the bus was going to break down and the bus driver has to pull over and he says "Ladies and gentleman, we are experiencing some technical difficulty so I just called the STA headquarters and they will come out here with another bus. Sorry for the delay again."

Sam held onto Joon. Her body was stiff all along. Sam was hoping they make it home without her flipping.

When they got home, they got off and walked to their apartment.

"You did it Joon," Sam said.

Joon was able to calm down knowing they made it home safe without being stuck somewhere in the city. Good thing she didn't have a job. Her job was painting and selling them on her front porch in front of their apartment. There were people out there who liked buying abstract paintings and saying it was done by a mentally ill person. At least her illness came in handy. God had a reason to make some of his people sick and make some different without being sick. Or was there a god? Maybe there is but Joon wasn't religious, neither was Sam. They were agnostic, same as Benny and Ruthie. Jennifer was an atheist and told her son god was a bunch of made up tales and the bible was written by a group of people and people are silly to read it and let it guide their lives. It be like her reading a book on Dumbo and letting it guide her life. She did good ticking off religious people who dared stopping her in the streets trying to hand her a religious booklet and she say "No such thing" and enjoying hearing their attitude and wasn't always sure what it meant. She even pissed Mormons off when they knock on her apartment door and how dare they interrupt her over something dumb that doesn't exist and try and get them to join their church. So Benny and Ruthie started doing that technique too, but Sam was too sweet to do it. Joon would just slam the door in their face when they knock on her door and she say "I am in the middle of my portrait, leave me alone" and slam the door.

But lot of people were rude to door to door sales people. Lot of them didn't like being bothered by Mormons or by door to door salesmen. Some wouldn't even answer their doors. With Sam, he would be very polite and be open to hearing what they have to say and say "No thank you but thanks for sharing your time with me." Poor Sam he was easy to being pressured to buying things by sales people so Joon was always there to help. She would get mad and tell them he said no and are they deaf so leave, and don't ever come back and bug them again and she slam the door in their face. She just hated people taking advantage of him by using his sweetness to pressure him to buying. He even let his cousin Mike push him around and be mean to him. He never stood up for himself. After years of being bullied and getting abuse, he was used to it so he acted like he didn't care or mind. He didn't even fight back when Benny threw him out of his house when he told him he was in a relationship with Joon. Instead he just told him he was scared and he could see it and he knew why and that he used to look up to him and now he can't look at him at all.

Joon got so fed up with sales men, she finally put "No soliciting" sign on their apartment door along with the other sign "Joon's Portrait Studio. Bug me during the hours of 12-4 PM on Monday through Thursday."

-

Sam unlocked their door and they went looking through their mail.

"Good thing we hoard it," said Sam.

Sam and Joon collected mail for the past year including junk mail. Sam was never sure if they might need them in the future so they kept them in a drawer in their room. Sam grabbed all the mail and put it in a bag and left. "I don't want to go through this again," Joon said.

"Joon, we have to risk this again," Sam said. "We don't have a ride or else we would have to do this another time."

But Joon wanted to get her license now.

Joon was shaking feeling nervous for the bus so Sam decided they would call Ruthie's friend to see where she is at and if she can give them a lift if she doesn't mind.

So they headed back to their apartment since neither of them had a cell phone. He picked up the phone and took out Jennifer's number and dialed it.

Joon walked around her apartment feeling anxious as Sam was on the phone talking.

"Oh okay, thanks anyway," Sam said. "Have a nice day, bye," and he hung up.

"Is she going to take us?" Joon asked.

"She's in Idaho," Sam said. "So she will not drive back here just to get us and then drive all the way back."

"Why would she be in Idaho?" Joon cried as she flapped her arms.

"Job," Sam said.

"Why can't journalists stay in the same spot?" Joon said. "I don't get it, how can she go to places without a problem but have problems with flexibility when she's off work?"

"Maybe she knows ahead of time," Sam suggested.

"Call Benny," Joon ordered.

"I think he's working."

"It's an emergency," Joon yelled.

"Why?"

"I need to get to the DMV for my test."

"That's not an emergency," Sam said. "It can be done another day. We'll just bring our proof of residence next time."

Joon rushed over to the phone and picked it up and dialed Benny's work.

The phone rang at Benny's Car Clinic. Waldo went over to it and answered it.

Hello?"

"I need Benny please," Joon said. "It's an emergency."

"Hey Benny, Joon's on the phone again, she says it's an emergency."

Benny stopped what he was doing and went over to the phone. "Hello?"

"I need a ride to the DMV," Joon said.

"Joon, I'm in the middle of work, you're going to have to take the bus."

"I don't trust them."

"Well then I guess you're going to have to take it another time."

"No, I want to now."

"Joon your car isn't even ready yet so what difference would it make if you do pass? You would still have to do the driving part,"

"I just want to get it out of the way," Joon said.

"Well I am not going to leave work and lose money just because you want to take your written test. It can wait."

Joon started to get upset.

"Okay fine I'll take you. Just don't have an episode," Benny said.

He hung up and told Eric to take over the place. "What happened?" he asked.

"Joon has an emergency," Benny said.

Eric understood but knew it was no real emergency. He didn't understand why things were emergencies to Joon when they really weren't to the real world. Benny didn't understand either but did them anyway because she was his sister.

Benny took off his work suit and headed to his El Camino and got in. He drove all the way to the South Hill to get Joon. He pulled in front of Ruthie's building and parked his car. He turned it off and got out and went inside. He knocked on the door. Sam answered it. Joon grabbed her driver's manual and the bag and rushed out to Benny's car. Sam went with. He wanted to be with Joon.

They both got in the Camino with Benny. Joon sat in the center. She picked up her helmet and put it on. Benny always kept it in the car with him in case so he wouldn't have to go all the way home and get it before he had to get her from somewhere.

Benny took them to the DMV and dropped them off. Joon asked Benny to stay in case they have to head back home again.

Benny sighed.

"Please?" Joon said. "I don't want to take the bus again and risk being stranded."

Benny now couldn't wait till he got her car done. He was going to work on it all he can in his spare time and not have any free time. He would spend it all with the car when he has the parts.

"Okay," said Benny.

Joon smiled and headed inside the building. Sam went in too. Benny just waited outside.

Sam and Joon waited in line again. When their turn came, they went to the counter. They showed their IDs again and Sam poured all the mail out of the bag.

The lady picked up one of the letters and looked at it. "Great, now grab a form for which license you're getting and fill it out and bring it back here."

"Thank you," said Sam.

"Grab a number too so you can take the written test," the lady said.

Joon went over to the machine and grabbed two numbers and sat down. Sam sat down with her.

"Oh Benny," he said. "Do we still need him here?"

"He can leave now," Joon said.

Sam got up and went outside and told Benny he could leave now. "Wonderful," he said.

Benny rolled his window back up and turned his car on and left. Sam sat back down inside next to Joon. She had two forms with two clipboards. Sam didn't panic because he knew Joon help her. She filled hers out putting in her information. She came to a part where it asked if she had any disabilities that would limit her driving. Joon put 'no' anyway. She didn't think her illness effect her driving. Joon filled out Sam's application putting down his first and last name, middle initial, their address, and answering questions. "Would you like to be a Washingtonian donor?" Joon asked.

"What?" Sam asked.

"It's if you die, would you like to donate your organ to someone if they need a transplant."

"Sure," Sam said.

Joon checked 'yes.' "What's your social security number?"

Sam whispered it in her ear as she wrote it down.

Then she came to the disability part again. Shall she say he has reading problems? Would it effect his driving?

"Do you think you can drive despite your reading problems?" Joon asked.

"Yes," said Sam. "I know my way to work and know my routes so I should be able to drive."

Joon decided to check 'no.'

Then they were done, all they had to do was wait for their number to be called so they could take their written test. But would they let her read the test to Sam and the multiple choice answers?


	9. Chapter 9

_I had a writer's block so this story got delayed._

Sam and Joon's turn came. Joon had to ask if it was alright she read the test to Sam.

"Does he have a vision problem?" the lady asked who was handing them the tests.

"No, he just had troubles reading so I was wondering it be alright I read the test to him and he can choose his own answers," Joon said.

"That be fine. But then he has to have someone else do it who isn't taking the test."

"I can wait another time then," said Sam. "You go ahead and take yours Joon."

He knew how important it was to her for her take the test so he decided it was better he waits so she could take the test.

Joon went in the room and sat down at a booth with her test and pencil. She started to read.

Sam stood outside the room and waited. He waited for about a half hour before Joon came back out with the test. She went over to the counter and handed it to the guy behind there. He told her to take a seat and they will check the answers and get back to her. Joon sat down and waited anxiously. Sam sat down next to her.

Soon her name was called. Joon got up. "Did I pass?" she asked excitedly.

"Afraid not," he said. "You got eight wrong. You needed four to pass."

"When can she take it again?" Sam asked before Joon said anything.

"Four hours but there be no time so she can come back tomorrow and take it again," he said.

"Okay, thanks. Okay Joon we'll come back tomorrow and try again."

"I don't want to take the bus again," she said.

"We'll try and get a ride again," he said.

Sam paid for the written test and they both left.

They had to wait for the bus again. Joon felt nervous all over. Sam put his arm around her and told her everything would be alright.

They waited but the bus never came. Joon started to get upset. She was probably heading for a breakdown. Sam wondered what time it was. Maybe there was bus problems again and they would come with a new bus and continue the route. But there were other buses on the same route so they would catch that next bus. Joon was crying and pacing around flapping her arms and and hands. Sam was embarrassed by the scene. They were out in public but luckily no one has stopped and said a thing about her.

"We're stranded," she kept saying.

"We're not stranded," Sam kept saying. "We'll get home."

"Nooooo we're stuck here," Joon cried.

Sam decided he better find a payphone and call Benny's work.

"Joon, you want to go find a payphone and call Benny?" Sam asked.

But Joon was too upset to do anything. Luckily he had Benny's work number so he knew to call him but he was afraid of leaving Joon alone. He tried to get her to come along but she wouldn't let him take her anywhere. She kept carrying on. Maybe he needed to call the ambulance and take her to the hospital again. He could remember the time she had a breakdown on the bus when she was running away with him. He told the driver to stop the bus and when he did, Joon wouldn't get off. She stayed on and carried on. Maybe this would be the last time they try taking a written test without a ride.

Sam let Joon carry on. He didn't know what to do. Maybe he should get a cell phone so he could use it for emergincies. But how much did they cost?

Then a lady who was walking by asked Joon if she was okay.

"She's mentally ill," Sam said.

"Will she be okay or do I need to call for help?" the lady asked.

"I need to call her brother," Sam said.

"I'll stay here so you can give him a call," she said.

"Thank you ma'am," Sam said.

"Call me Mariann," she said

Sam went looking for a pay phone. When he found one, he put some change in and called Benny's work.

The phone rang at Benny's Car Clinic. Waldo was holding an old windshield wiper was pretending to conduct an orchestra as he was listening to oldie music on the radio.

"Hey Waldo, quit that and get to work," Benny shouted as he went to the phone. He answered it. "Hello?"

"Benny, Joon's having a breakdown again at the bus stop. I can't get her to come so I have some nice lady watching her as I'm calling you."

"Oh no," said Benny. "I'll be right there. Where are you?"

Sam told him their location.

"Okay, I'll be there," said Benny and he hung up.

"I have an emergency again," he said. "Eric close up shop when closing time comes."

"Okay," Eric said. "What happened?"

"It's Joon."

"Okay."

Benny took off his work uniform and hung it up and went out his car. He got in and drove off.

When he got to the bus stop, he saw Joon crying. She was walking around in circles flapping her arms and hands and screaming phrases. While Benny was coming, the bus did come and stopped but Sam didn't get on. He couldn't leave Joon so the bus kept on going. The lady wasn't there anymore because Sam had told her he'd be fine now because Joon's brother was on his way.

Benny got out of his car. "Joon," he shouted. He noticed some people were watching but he ignored it.

"I'm here, I can take you and Sam home now," he shouted.

He put his arms around her. Joon kept crying and screaming. Then she screamed, "Don't you touch me."

"Joon," Benny said again. "I don't need to take you to the hospital again."

Joon heard the word. "Nooo," she screamed.

"Then calm down."

But Joon also hated those words. It felt like he didn't understand how she was feeling and where she was coming from and he wants her to be calm?

Joon screamed harder and tried to get away. Benny kept his grip on her. He pulled her to his car.

Sam came over to them and he grabbed her hand. "Joon," Sam said again. "It's okay now, we're going home in Benny's car."

"I think we might need to call the ambulance," Benny said.

"Okay," Sam said. He hated to see Joon go to the hospital but it was for her own good since she was unable to calm down all because the bus didn't show up.

Sam headed to the pay phone and called the ambulance.


	10. Chapter 10

Joon was taken to the hospital. The same place she had been to before when she had the breakdown on the bus. She was sedated to calm her down when the paramedics came and this time she wasn't in the closed ward. She didn't mind Sam being there or Benny. Joon was lying in bed all calm.

"We're going to have to get a ride to take the test and back," Sam told her. "No more getting dropped off and having you take buses. If we can't get a ride, we can't go to the DMV. I don't want to go through this again."

"I'm sorry," said Joon.

"It's okay," said Benny.

Then Dr. Garvey came in the room. She was called and informed about her episode. She came in to evaluate Joon and check up on her.

"How are you feeling Joon?" she asked.

"Better," she said.

"Do you mind the other two being here when I talk to you?"

"No," said Joon.

"Okay. So tell me, what happened that brought you here?"

"The buses are cursed," said Joon. "Sam made me ride them so we could take the written test."

"Written test?" Dr. Garvey asked.

"We're going to get our license," Sam asked.

"A driver's license?"

"Yes," said Joon.

"Okay now back to the buses. How are they cursed?"

Joon told her what Sam had been experiencing with them so that was why she didn't want to ride them. She didn't want to risk getting stuck.

"Those buses are old," said Dr. Garvey. "Thank god they are going to get new ones I hear."

"Oh good," said Sam.

"I bet you're happy about that," Benny told Joon.

"So what is this about you getting your driver's license?" Dr. Garvey asked Joon.

"So I can be more independent, and we can get to places than having to take the bus or wait for it to come. And it's a lot easier when you go grocery shopping and when Sam buys my supplies," Joon said.

"So how do you plan on getting a car?"

"I got them one," Benny informed. "Now I'm working on fixing it up to make it all nice and new again.

"Okay, well Joon, you're aware driving is a big responsibility? Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes," said Joon.

"Tell me what you are doing to get your license?"

"I have been studying and helping Sam with it too and I took my first written test and failed it."

"Well Joon after checking in on you at your new apartment and hearing how well you have been doing, having less episodes, and going for a long period of time without this kind, I'd say you are doing very good and you're good to go."

"She can leave today?" Benny asked.

"Yes. I'll sign for her release."

Dr. Garvey got up and left the room.

Joon was happy she be going home. She wanted to go home and be in Sam's arms.

Joon got out of bed. Her clothes were given back to her. Joon changed into them and they all left. Benny went to the front desk to check Joon out. Sam was happy Joon was well again.

"I promise you no more buses," Sam told her. "But now we both have to be patient to take our written tests. We have to wait till Benny, Jen or Ruthie are available to take us and be willing to wait and then take us home again."

"Okay," said Joon.

Benny took them both home to their apartment.

"Benny," Joon said. "Can you take us to the DMV tomorrow and then wait for me to take the test and then take us home again?"

"Okay," said Benny. "I'll do it first thing before work."


	11. Chapter 11

Joon was so happy to be home in her apartment. It was late in the evening and Sam and Joon both cuddled on the couch watching an old movie. They both had already ate. Sam cooked once they got home. Benny didn't even bother to tell Ruthie or anyone else Joon was in the hospital. He didn't need the sympathy. Maybe Jennifer wouldn't have really cared since she always seemed to act like she didn't give a darn about things or maybe she did care but just didn't know how to show it. He could remember her talking about her ex husband and how he thought she didn't have empathy and she said she does. Just because she doesn't care about certain people such as Mike, doesn't mean she doesn't have it, it just means she doesn't have it for them. She even said she wouldn't care if Mike got killed. It be victory even if it means he wouldn't be around for her to pick on but he hardly came to the poker games anyway.

-

The next day Benny came over to Ruthie's building to pick up Sam and Joon. They were all ready to go. Joon put on the helmet once she got in the car. Sam sat in the passenger seat as Joon sat in the middle. Benny took them to the DMV. He parked his car once he got there and they all went inside. Joon grabbed two numbers and sat down. Benny sat with them. Joon took out the driver's manual and started to read the questions to him and the answers.

When their number was called, Sam and Joon got up. "Uh Benny," Sam said. "I need someone to read the test to me and the answers so I can select one of them but Joon can't do it because she is taking the test and I need to someone who isn't taking the test to help me."

"Sure," said Benny. "I'll do it."

They went to the counter and they were handed the written tests and taken to the room. "I'm here to help him with the test," Benny told the lady. "He needs someone to read the questions to him and the answers."

"Does he have vision problems?"

"No he just has difficulty with reading," Benny replied.

"Okay wonderful but I'm going to have to send someone to watch you to make sure you aren't here to give him the answers," the lady said.

"Okay, that be fine."

Joon was already in the room sitting at one of the booths taking the test.

Benny and Sam came in the room and sat at one of the booths and waited for someone to come in with the test and stand right behind them and watch. Then a man who works at the DMV came in and handed the test to Sam.

"Okay, you will read the test to him and if you give out one answer to him, you both will be sent out and he automatically fails the test," the guy explained to Benny.

There were already pencils at the booths so Sam picked one up and Benny started to read the questions to him and the answers. The guy stood close by listening and watching.

Benny ignored the guy pretending he wasn't there. Sam did his best to ignore him but he felt distracted so he worked hard keeping his concentration on the test. He even had to have Benny repeat the question again and the answers and explain what a question meant when Sam didn't understand it. Benny didn't give them the answer he thought was correct.

Joon heard Benny helping Sam with the test. She kept concentrating on her test and reading each question carefully and the answers. After she was done answering them all, she read it all over again to make sure she answered each question correctly. She didn't want to have accidentally put in the wrong answer and she doesn't pass the test.

After she was done, she put her number two pencil down and picked up her test and left the room. She brought it to the counter and handed it to the guy. "Done?"

Joon nodded.

"I'll check your answers so wait here."

He left and Joon waited. She drummed her fingers on the counter and fiddled with her necklace.

Five minutes later, the guy came back.

"Did I pass?" Joon asked anxiously.

The guy nodded. "You only got four wrong. Now you need come over here and read this chart to me."

Joon followed the guy to the eye chart and had her stand ten feet away and had her read the top line to him. She did and the guy said "Perfect." Then he pointed to the forth line. "Now I need you to read this line."

Joon read it and the guy said "Okay."

Then he pointed to the seventh line. Joon read it and he said "Alright."

"Did I pass?" Joon asked.

"Yes you did. Now I need to you look at this chart here."

He took out the color chart and told her to tell him the colors on one line. Joon told him and he said "Okay."

Then he checked her depth perception. Joon passed. Then the guy said he needed her to pay for her written test.

"My finacee has the money so he will pay when he is done with his test," Joon said.

"Okay, no problem," he said.

Joon sat down and waited.

Fifteen minutes later, Benny and Sam came out. Joon got up and followed them to the counter. They had to wait on the person in front of them who was getting his answers checked. When the guy came back with his test and told him how many he got wrong, he had passed so Sam and Joon had to wait even longer.

They waited fifteen more minutes on the person. After he was done, the guy came back to the counter and checked the answers on Sam's test. Sam tapped his cane on the ground and paced up and down as he waited. Then the guy came back. "Did he pass?" Joon asked anxiously again.

Sam saw the guy had came back with his test and went back to the counter. "Did I pass?" he asked.

"You got ten wrong. You can take it again in another four hours."

"I need to get to work you guys," Benny informed Sam and Joon. "I can take him again next week. I can't afford to lose money everyday by taking you two here."

"That's okay, I can wait," said Sam.

"I need to schedule the driving test now," said Joon.

"You don't have a car yet," said Benny.

"I can use yours," she said.

"But then you still won't be able to drive because you don't have a car yet. You will be stuck with a license without a car."

"So what's wrong with that?" Joon asked.

"You really want your driver's lisence without your car yet?" Benny asked.

"Yes," said Joon.

She wanted to get it out of the way.

"I'm real nervous about you driving my car."

"You're afraid I'm going to crash?" Joon asked. "You let me try out to get my license and now you're worried about me crashing your car? Don't you find that ironic Benjamin?"

Benny sighed. "Okay fine, you can use my car. I know where the garage is when it needs it."

Joon jumped up and down and flapped her arms. "Oh thank you Benny," she said as she hugged him. "Thank you thank you."

Now she had a driving test she had to schedule.


	12. Chapter 12

Sam was sad he didn't pass. It may be Spokane but the knowledge tests were pricey for each time you take it. Twenty dollars was pricey because it cost them forty dollars total. He had spent sixty so far. He just hoped Joon would pass her driving test so he wouldn't have to keep paying for her.

Benny dropped them off back at their apartment. he told them they can ask Ruthie or Jennifer to take them back for Joon's driving or for his test but don't expect them to do it if they can't.

Jennifer would be out of the question because she would not skip work just to take them and then wait and then take them home and go to work. She didn't want to lose her job. Ruthie might be out of the question too because she also worked. She also doesn't want to lose her job so she wouldn't be able to take them in and wait on them and then take them home again and then head to work. All they could do now was count on Benny. He couldn't fire himself because he owned the business so he was his own boss.

"Hey maybe Peter can take us," Joon said. "He's a rich snob so he can come here and take us."

"Joon, he lives out of town," Sam said.

"But he doesn't work and he spends all his money on Jennifer and Jason so of course he can take us. Wow she sure has become useful now, hallelujah."

"But didn't Jennifer say he is busy with his camp?" Sam asked,

Joon stopped. "Oh, yeah. I wish she quit her job. She doesn't even need it anymore."

She didn't understand why Jennifer would still work if she has Peter. He could get her anything. He could even buy her a house if he wanted to since he had that much money, actually more than that. He had earned it from his tours in the eighties so he was a millionaire. More of a two millionaire. Why did she still have her old car and not have a fancy modern one? Peter could buy her one. He even used to take her around in a helicopter. That's how rich he was. He could do about anything. Heck he could even pay Discovery Zone to have it closed so only they would be there and Jason would have all the equipment to himself to play on. He actually did do it once and Jennifer told him how nice it was because there was no noise and she didn't have to worry about stepping on any kids with her clumsy moves and Jason can bury himself in the ball pits and it won't be dangerous because there aren't any other kids and grownups and teens playing. Peter was nice to pay all the employees there who didn't work that day because they were un needed. There was at least one employee there who ran the place and watched them. Jennifer even got to swing on the swing kids used to swing across the ball pit but they weren't allowed to hang on it with their legs or swing on it by sitting on it but Jennifer got to do it all. It was heaven she got to be a kid again. Discovery Zone didn't even exist when she was little so she envied her son when she and her husband take him there when they lived in LA.

Sam suggested to Joon maybe reason why Jennifer is still working is because they could still break up so she is just being safe. He also suggested the reason why she doesn't have fancy things from him such as having a fancy car or even having a house is because she isn't a user and she isn't after his money so she isn't asking for that stuff.

Joon was going to be taking her driving test the following week. Sam said he could wait to get his license because he wasn't in any rush. Plus he can't afford to keep failing the test and keep paying to take it every time or else they won't be able to pay their bills. Luckily it was Spokane so the rent wasn't high but they still didn't pay the full rent, Benny paid for part of it until section 8 took over. Joon was on social security and Benny was her payee until he signed it over to her. Joon spent her extra money on her supplies.

-

Joon's birthday came. Sam and Ruthie got Joon a cake at the supermarket down the street. Sam had gotten her something from Boo Radleys. Benny showed up with a present for Joon. Jennifer and Jason pulled up and parked in front of Ruthie's building and they both got out. Jason ran with the presents in his hand. Jennifer trailed behind him. Jason threw open the doors and ran up to Sam and Joon's apartment door. Jason was about to turn the handle when Jennifer shouted at him to knock first. He curled his hand up and started knocking. He kept knocking and wouldn't stop.

"Okay, I think that's good," Jennifer said.

Jason kept knocking.

"You can stop knocking now," his mother said again.

Jason stopped knocking and asked her why.

"Because you only need to knock for a few seconds," she said.

"Why?"

Before Jennifer could answer, the door opened. "Hi," Sam said. "Come in."

Jennifer and Jason walked right in and Sam closed the door.

"Which one of you was the long knocker?" Ruthie asked.

"Him," Jennifer pointed to her son.

"Excited aren't you?" Ruthie said.

"When do we have cake?" Jason asked.

"Uh soon," Benny said.

"How long is soon?"

Benny sighed.

"Tell him the minutes," Jennifer ordered.

"We don't know when, that's the problem," Ruthie said.

"Lets have it now," Jason said.

"Hold on," said Ruthie.

"She means wait," Jennifer told him.

Jason was literal so he didn't understand idioms yet so Jennifer had to tell him what Ruthie meant in case he got confused.

Joon looked at the presents she got. "Can I open them now?" she asked.

"Sure, why not," said Ruthie.

Joon smiled and touched her ear.

Jason was anxious for her to open them. He wanted to see what else she got.

Joon picked up the present from Sam. She opened it and saw it was a jumbo Treasure Troll.

"Hold it up so everyone can see," Benny said.

Joon held it up in the air.

"That's the biggest troll I have ever seen," said Jennifer.

"Where did you get it?" Ruthie asked.

"Boo Radleys," Sam said.

Jason didn't say anything about Joon getting a toy, he had seen her other toys she had in her bedroom so he was used to seeing a grown up with toys, plus his mother had a bunch of stuff animals in the net hanging above her bed and she had coloring books and watched Dumbo and kid shows and teens, plus she had a pacifier. He had found it in her room before when he still lived in LA and he asked her why she had it and she just said he knows how she tends to put things in her mouth and suck on it or chew on it, so she got herself a pacifier so she has something to suck on. He was weirded out by it at first but then got used to it. He found other weird things out about her and also got weirded out by it too but accepted she wasn't normal either but sometimes he still wished she was normal. Joon wasn't normal, nor was Peter, or Sam and him. Ruthie told him there was no such thing as normal and everybody is different. Look at Claudia, is she abnormal because she is deaf? Is Mike abnormal because he is a jerk? Is his teacher abnormal because he is gay? Is Eric abnormal because he is overweight? Is Thomas abnormal because he is divorced? Is Benny abnormal because he gets over protective of Joon sometimes?

Ruthie wondered what would happen if Mike had a condition too and he didn't even know it? What would his reaction be if he found out? Would it make him be nice to the misfits? That's what Sam, Joon, Jason, and Jennifer were known as. For some reason, Claudia wasn't abnormal enough for Mike. Simple, she couldn't hear so being a jerk to her wouldn't do him any good because she won't hear him. Peter also wasn't abnormal enough for him because he was a famous rock star so it was acceptable for them all to be weird and different. Mike was just too stupid to see it wasn't his persona. Everyone else could tell Peter was different but Jennifer and Jason didn't pick up on it because he was normal to them.

Oh Mike had a condition alright. It was Jerk Personality Disorder. Ruthie made that one up since doctors like to make labels up for everything so why not make her own too. She also had for him, Ignorant syndrome. People are born with it so they are so ignorant and un understanding about differences in people or maybe she had a condition where it makes her see people for them and accept them for them and she can see through their difference because the ignorance was the majority. It was a gift then she had.

Benny had a condition, Overprotective Brother syndrome because he was over protective of Joon he treated her like his child and kept her sheltered, then he had to let her grow up by letting her go, try and have her live in her own apartment and have a relationship with Sam. Now he had pretty much recovered from it but still suffered it a little bit because he was worried about her getting her license.

Joon opened Benny's next. It was an art set. Joon opened it and held it in the air. Benny even got her a new sketchbook. Then she opened Jason's next. After she opened everyone's gifts, Sam carried the cake to the table. It said 'Happy Birthday Juniper.'

"That name makes me think of Jupiter," said Jennifer.

"You say that every time you see that name, you know that?" Benny said.

"I do?" Jennifer asked. "I didn't know that. How often do I say it?"

"Every time you see the name."

"Oh."

Ruthie started to sing a song by Donovan. "Jennifer Juniper lives upon the hill Jennifer Juniper sitting very still."

"What are you singing?" Benny asked.

"Jennifer Juniper," she said. "It's an old song."

"That's funny, we have a Jennifer and a Juniper here."

"That's why the song popped in my head," Ruthie said.

Ruthie kept humming the song as Sam took the candles out of the box and put them on the cake. Jason helped. He loved putting candles on. Then Sam counted how many were on the cake. "Five more," he said.

They put five more on the cake and Sam said that was enough. "We still have those left," Jason pointed to the four candles on the table.

"We only need twenty six on the cake," Sam said. "Joon isn't turning thirty."

Jason knew when you turn a different age, you have that many candles on your cake to blow out. He had seen his mother get a lot on her cake too but not his dad because he said he was too old and there be too many holes on the cake and wax because it took them that long to light them all and they melt so the wax gets on the cake. He was a lot older than his wife and left them when he was in his early forties.

Then Sam lit one of the big candles and he used it to light the candles on the cake. Benny decided to help out by taking another big candle and lighting it and then lighting the other candles.

After they were done, they blew out the big candles and set them on the table and everyone started to sing happy birthday. When they got to the "dear" part, everyone said "Joon" except for Jennifer. She said "Juniper" thinking that was the name because it was on the cake. She felt stupid for not knowing.

After they were done singing, Joon took a deep breath and blew out all the candles, well almost, only five were left lit so she had to blow those out. Then Jennifer started to take the candles off the cake and licking the frosting off.

"Jen hold on, let me get something to put them on," Sam said.

He went and got a little saucer and came back and put it on the table. Jason started to pick the candles off the cake too and Joon. She just took them off and put them on the saucer. Jason and Jennifer took them and licked the frosting off them.

After all the candles were off the cake, Ruthie got a knife and plates and handed the knife to Joon.

"Okay, everyone tell me how big of piece you want," she said.

"I want the corner and I want it this big," Jennifer said as she showed Joon.

Joon cut the big piece. She slid the knife under the piece and picked it up and put it on the plate. Jennifer took it. "Hey where are the forks?"

"Oh," said Sam. "Ruthie, you forgot forks."

"Oh my bad, sorry," she said.

Sam got the forks and brought them to the table. Jennifer picked one up and started to have to piece.

Joon cut everyone else a piece and they all ate. "That's a pretty big piece you have Jen," said Benny.

"I love sweets," Jennifer said. "I'm a sweet person."

"No one is sweeter than my Sam," said Joon.

"I didn't know he ate lot of sweets too," Jennifer joked. "How does he even stay thin?"

"The buses keep breaking down so I have to walk," Sam joked back.

"Really?" Jennifer asked.

"It's a joke Jennifer," Ruthie said.

"Oh."

After she was done with her piece, she went and grabbed another piece. Jason had another piece too. Ruthie and Sam were fine with having one piece. Joon had another piece and so did Sam. Jennifer had a big piece again and was full. Jason couldn't finish his second piece.

"Is there anything to drink?" Jennifer asked.

"Just water," said Ruthie. "The glasses are in the cupboard next to the fridge.

Jennifer went in the kitchen and grabbed an empty class and filled it up at the sink. She had a drink and poured the rest out.

Then everyone left. Benny went back home, Jennifer left with Jason, and Ruthie stuck around and chatted with Sam and Joon.


	13. Chapter 13

Joon's driving test came. Benny took her and Sam in. He decided he was not going to take his written test again because he didn't want to spend another twenty dollars. He had to spend it on Joon for her test. Besides there was no point in taking the test because they didn't have a car yet. Benny was still working on it.

Benny parked his car and they all went inside. Joon checked in and said she was there for her driving test. The lady asked for her name.

"Juniper Pearl," Joon said.

The lady looked on the self at the P section and found her name. There was her form in the folder she had filled out to get her license. "Okay. Take a seat and we'll be right with you."

Joon, Sam, and Benny sat down.

"Are you going to take the written test?" Benny asked Sam.

"No," said Sam.

"Why?"

"No car."

Sam hoped Joon would pass the test.

They waited and then Joon's name was called. Benny handed her his keys. "This is the key here to the car," Benny pointed.

Joon took the keys from him. Sam got up too and followed after her and the examiner.

"Do you need me to come with you Joon?" Sam asked.

"I'm sorry, only the driver and the examiner can be in the car," she told him.

"I'll be okay Sam," Joon said.

Sam sat back down and Joon and the lady headed outside to Benny's car. Joon opened the car door and got in. She put the key in the ignition and started it. The examiner asked for proof of insurance. Joon opened the glove box and took out everything and handed it to her.

"I only need to see the proof of insurance," she said.

"I don't know which one it is," said Joon.

The examiner took the stuff and looked through it and found the insurance card. "Okay, you're good." She handed the stuff back to Joon and she put it back in the glove box. She got back in the car.

"Okay turn your lights on low beam," said the examiner.

Benny had shown Joon where to turn on the lights and the brights and how to turn on the wind shield wipers and where the break pedal is and the gas pedal, how to put it in park and drive, reverse and neutral.

Joon turned on the lights.

"Okay high beam," the examiner said.

Joon had a little trouble putting them on high beam but she figured it out and did it.

"Low beam."

Joon turned the brights off.

"Turn your lights off now and put on the break."

Joon stepped on the break and the examiner looked behind the car. After they were done with that part of testing, the examiner came in the car kicking Joon's helmet out of the way. Joon remembered to put on her seat belt. Joon hated wearing it because she didn't like how it felt on her but Benny told her she better wear it when she takes the test because they mark down everything you don't do such as not wearing a seat belt, not looking both ways before you turn on the road, not going the speed limit, forgetting to signal, driving through empty parking spaces, they want you to do everything right. Joon didn't wear her helmet. She didn't need to. Benny wasn't driving and she was.

"Okay you start out with one hundred points," she said. "You lose points when you do an error, you lose one hundred if you hit another car, a person, do any collision, do any road kills. There will be no tricks and asking you to do anything illegal. I will try and not confuse you and if you don't understand what I tell you to do, just ask and I will rephrase it. At the end of the test I will add up your score and tell you what you got. You need to have eighty or above to pass."

Then the real testing began. Joon was told to pull out of the parking spot to the right.

"That way?" Joon pointed.

"Yes," said the examiner.

Joon turned the El Camino right.

"Okay, now you will exit the parking lot over there and turn right," the examiner pointed.

Joon did just that and remembered to turn on the signal but she forgot to look both ways so the examiner knocked down her points. She kept driving down the road and then she was told to take a right. Joon took a right. She remembered too look both ways this time. It was the main road so she had to look both ways since it had more cars on it so there were constant changes due to lot of cars being on the road. Then she was told to get in the left lane so Joon did that forgetting to turn on her signal and forgetting to turn her head to look behind her. She looked in the outside mirror and the rare view mirror instead. The examiner docked her points.

Then she told Joon to make the left turn up ahead. Joon went in the turn only lane forgetting to signal again. Then she turned her signal on when she stopped and then she turned. Then she was told to pull into the parking lot. Then she was told to pull into one of the parking spaces. Joon parked the car.

"Juniper, you need to remember to look behind you when you switch lanes. You need to remember to signal when you switch lanes. You need to look both ways before you turn onto the street, even if there are no cars on it or hardly any. There are blind spots."

"Did I pass?" Joon asked.

The examiner shook her head. "You lost too many points due to those errors. You got down to seventy six. Four points each you lost."

"When can I take the test again?"

"After one week."

"So that means I can take it again next week?" Joon asked.

"Yes, after seven days. Okay, now we're heading back to the DMV."

Joon pulled out of the parking spot and didn't even bother to look both ways again when she turned onto the street. She failed the test so she didn't take it serious anymore. "I am still marking your points," the examiner said.

"But I failed," Joon pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. We're still doing the driving test, it's not over til we get back and turn off the car."

So Joon obeyed the rules of the road. She remembered to signal and look both ways before turning onto the main road. When she got back to Lidgerwood Street, she turned on it using her signal.

When she got back to the DMV, she parked the car and turned off the ignition and took the keys out. The examiner added up the points she lost and told her the score. She discussed the results and all her errors she did. When she was done, they both got out of the car and went inside.

Sam got out of his chair and walked up to Joon. "Did you pass?"

Joon shook her head.

"How's my car?" Benny asked. "Did you wreck it?"

"No Benny," said Joon.

"Pay up front," the examiner said.

Benny, Sam, and Joon went to the counter to pay for the test.

Sam took out his wallet and opened it and said "I don't have enough cash."

Joon reached into her pouch and pulled out her checkbook and pen. She opened it and started to make out the check. Then she asked who she makes it out to.

After she was done, she ripped out the check and handed it to the guy.

"When are you going to take the test again?" Benny asked.

"Next week after seven days?" said Joon.

"How much money do we have left in the bank?" Sam asked. "We have to pay our bills."

"Joon, how about we just hold off and let you practice driving before your next test?" Benny suggested. "Can she practice driving before her next test?" Benny asked the guy at the counter.

"No she needs a learner's permit," the guy said.

"How do we get it?"

"Well she needs to bring in her proof of identity and residence."

"Okay so what will she need?"

"Social security number or birth certificate, ID, anything that shows her proof of residence."

"I already did all that," Joon said.

The guy looked in the folder again and said she had already did all that and passed the screening for her vision and colors. "It will be another twenty dollars."

Sam eyes widened.

"I'll pay for it," said Benny. "I want you guys to be able to save money for your bills."

He took out his check book and paid for the learner's permit. "When will she get it?"

"Now. We just need to take her photo so we can print it and give it to her."

"Can he get his too?" Benny asked pointing to Sam.

"Did he pass the knowledge test?"

"No," Sam said.

"He has to pass it first before he can get it," the guy said.

Sam could wait. "Joon what are you going to do when you pass the test and get your license?" Sam asked.

"I can drive then," said Joon.

"But we don't have a car yet."

"So, at least it be out of the way."

So that's what this was about. Joon wanted to get this all done so she wouldn't have to do it later.

Joon was sent over to the wall and another employee took a photo of her. Then she waited for her learner's permit.

The guy came back with a printed learner's permit. It looked like a license except it was on paper. "Okay Juniper, you can only drive with someone in the car who has a valid driver's license and is at least twenty-one years of age and has to sit in the passenger seat in the front. You cannot drive out of the state of Washington."

"Okay," said Joon as she put her learner's permit in her pouch. "Can I drive home Benny?"

"There can only be one person in the car with you," the guy said again.

"Sorry Joon," said Benny.

"I want to schedule my driving test again," said Joon.

"Joon I thought you wanted to practice driving first," Benny pointed out.

"Yeah I want to practice driving before my test comes again."

"Okay fine," Benny sighed.

So Joon scheduled her appointment for the test again. Because they were booked, it be in twelve days instead of eight.

They all left and Joon handed the keys to Benny. He looked at his watch.

"When can I practice driving?" Joon asked anxiously.

"How about after work but then it slow the work down on your car," Benny said.

"Okay," said Joon. She just wanted to get on with her driving test so she can be done with it and Benny can go back to working on her car.

On the way home Benny explained everything to Joon what he was doing. "You do a complete stop at the stop sign," said Benny. "Not a rolling stop like I always do." "Remember to signal when you switch lanes and turn your head like this before you go in the next lane." Benny had to signal as he switched just to show Joon and he had to turn his head before he went in the next lane. He was obeying every rule on the road because Joon had to learn the driving skills to pass the test.

"Joon I want you to watch me and pay attention," Benny said again when he noticed Joon wasn't looking at him.

"I know how you drive," she said.

"I want you to know the skills you need to use that would hep you pass the test," said Benny. "You don't want to keep failing the test. They make you wait longer to take it again every time you fail."

"Why?" Joon asked.

"I guess it's so you have time to practice," Benny said.

So Joon watched him on the way home.

* * *

_I tried to make the whole DMV thing accurate. I don't know how long it takes to get a learner's permit. In Montana I automatically got one after I took the written test but each state is different. I didn't even know you had to apply for one in Washington until I looked it up online. I don't even know if the tests cost twenty dollars back then too. I also went by experience when I got my first license. Filling out the form and getting your photo taken, taking the written test, getting your eye sight tested and seeing how well you can see color after you past the test and they test your depth perception. Now to schedule the driving test. _


	14. Chapter 14

Joon practiced her driving skills every day after Benny get off from work. He take her out for a drive in the neighborhood and have her do different things like parallel park. He would even take her to her neighborhood and have her drive there. He have her back the car out backwards in front of his house. After three days of practice, Ruthie decided she help Joon out too so she had her drive her car while Ruthie sit in the passenger seat. She let her get on the main roads and have her practice switching lanes remembering to signal and look behind her than looking in the mirrors only. Ruthie also told her about blind spots. "There are blind spots so you must look behind you before you switch lanes because the car beside you won't always appear in the mirrors," she said.

Joon felt happy she was driving. She hoped she would pass her driving test next time.

* * *

Benny got a phone call from Eric.

"Hello?" he said.

"Benny, Claudia is in labor. We're at the hospital," Eric said.

"Has the baby come yet?"

"No, she is still pushing and the nurses are trying."

"How long have you guys been there?"

"About forty five minutes."

After they hung up, Benny called Ruthie and told her the news. Ruthie was happy their baby was coming. Then she called Jennifer and told her the news.

"Oh," she said.

Then she called Peter and told Jason the news. He was happy the baby was coming. He was going to be a god brother. He always wanted a little brother or sister because he felt left out at school that everyone else had brothers and sisters and he didn't. Eric had told him he can be their child's god brother when he or she comes. Jennifer didn't want anymore kids. Jason was unplanned because she used poor judgment in her early twenties. She hated kids because she grew up being picked on by them but she felt too strongly attached to her unborn child to even put it up for an adoption when she found out she was pregnant. She decided she would just show everyone. She wouldn't let her kid run wild and be a spoiled brat, bully other kids, and be disrespectful. But she found some kids to be acceptable such as Lindsay because she wasn't a spoiled brat and didn't bully other kids. In fact she reminded Jennifer of herself from when she was a kid. She wouldn't hate Eric and Claudia's kid after they have it because what can babies do to hurt you? They were innocent and were incapable of meanness. They couldn't even do anything except wet and mess themselves, cry, eat, sleep, crawl, and have their minds continuing to develop and their immune system and their muscles and skull.

Thomas and Mike got the news too about Claudia being in labor. Mike acted nice about it but then turned into a jerk again. "Congratulations to them," Mike said. "Their very first child. I just hope it will be normal instead of a nutcase. I don't need anymore of them."

He already was dealing with four of them, Peter didn't count because he was a rock star. For some reason he didn't count Claudia. But one of the nutcases was picking on him and bullying him and her boyfriend takes her side. Joon should be in a mental hospital and Jason and Jennifer were whatever, (he didn't know what to call them) and so was Sam. They were all stupid. They should be in a group home and Jason should be in a place for defective kids. Peter was crazy for choosing to be with Jennifer and Ruthie was crazy too for even being her friend and for liking Sam and being his friend too and Joon's. Luckily Mike didn't know everything about her such as her pacifier. Ruthie knew about it and Joon and Peter and Sam but they didn't say a thing about it. It was one of her sensations.

Joon slept with her stuffed monkey but it wasn't unusual to sleep with a stuffed animal vs using a pacifier but it was the style anyway. Some teens went around using pacifiers in their mouths. It must have been a fad for teens. Ruthie had seen it a few times at places and told Jennifer about it and asked her if she has ever seen it. She said she had and it makes her feel happy inside because she isn't alone but she can't bare to use it out in public. Ruthie told her it was okay and everyone has a private thing about themselves. Ruthie had something private about herself and Joon too and Sam kept it private. Benny knew but didn't care. He tried it himself and liked it. It all started with Jennifer and she got Ruthie into it and then she got Joon into it. Peter knew about them too because Jennifer had told him but he didn't care. He had his own private stuff too. Could Mike have anything too he does privately he didn't want anyone knowing about?

Sam and Joon got the news from Ruthie about Claudia being in labor.

"That's wonderful," said Sam.

"Ouch," said Joon. "I can wait till that happens to me."

Claudia was in labor for twelve hours before their baby was delivered. It was a baby girl. They named her Ivy. They already had the name picked out. Claudia was pooped. She sweat buckets and she was happy the labor was over. Now she felt exhausted. She got to see their child before the nurses had to weigh her and measure her height and take her foot print. they placed a ID bracelet around her little wrist and put her in the nursery with the other babies.

Eric called Benny and told him the news. "Ivy was born today at six twenty AM," he said.

"Alright," said Benny. "Congratulations."

He called Ruthie and told her the news.

"Congratulations to them," said Ruthie. "I'll go tell Sam and Joon and Jennifer."

Ruthie went next door and told Sam and Joon the news. "Eric and Claudia had their child. She was delivered this morning at six twenty AM," said Ruthie.

"What did they name her?" Joon asked.

"Ivy," Ruthie said.

Then she called Jennifer and told her the news. "Eric and Claudia just had their baby this morning at six twenty AM," Ruthie said. "They named her Ivy."

"I'll tell Jason then," she said.

"Are you going to see the baby today?" Ruthie asked.

"I'll see it at the next poker game," Jennifer said.

"Okay," said Ruthie.

After they hung up, Jennifer waited till she was off work to tell Jason and Peter the news. She drove back to his house and told Jason the news. "Eric and Claudia had their baby today," Jennifer told him.

"What did they name her?" Jason asked.

"Ivy," she said.

"That's a weird name."

Eric and Claudia already knew they were going to have a girl because they were told during her pregnancy.

"Well don't tell them that when you see them again," Jennifer said.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"Because I think it might be rude."

"Why?"

"It just sounds rude is all."

"Why?"

"Because you're saying their child's name is weird. Would you like it if someone told you you have a weird name?"

"I don't have a weird name," Jason said.

"Well someone who has never heard the name Jason might think it's a weird name so would you like it if they told you it's a weird name?"

"I don't know. What if they ask me what I think of the name?"

"Then you can tell them that then."

Jason couldn't imagine how he'd feel if someone told him he had a weird name because he had difficulty with that theory of mind. No one has told him his name was weird so he wouldn't even know how he'd feel. Jennifer had that difficulty too but she was better at it than he was because she was older and had more life experience than him. How did people do it anyway? They were good psychics. That's what she liked calling them. Ruthie called them that too with her. She couldn't relate to it but understood why Jennifer would view it that way. It seemed that way to her because that's how it felt. Now they didn't spend much time together as friends. Jennifer was always with Peter or at home. Only time they saw each other was at the poker games or at special occasions such as holidays or birthdays but they still talked on the phone sometimes. Jennifer hated phones. Ruthie could tell she be annoyed when she be talking to her on the phone because she interrupted her so she let her go.

Ruthie, Benny, Joon, and Sam stopped by at the hospital and saw Eric and Claudia and their child.

Claudia had Ivy in her arms. They all went up to the bed and looked down at Ivy. She had her eyes closed and she was all wrapped up in a blanket.

"She is so cute," Benny said.

"She is very pretty," Ruthie said.

"Pretty?" Joon asked. "They all look the same."

Ruthie and Eric chuckled.

"Can I hold her?" Sam asked Eric.

Claudia looked at him raising her eye brows.

"Can we hold her?" Benny asked using his hand gestures and speaking slowly.

Claudia handed him her child. Benny took her and handed her to Sam. Sam held her.

"It feels like I'm holding a doll except this one is alive," said Sam.

Then they all heard someone walking in the room. They all turned except Claudia. It was Jennifer, and Jason.

"Hi," Benny said.

"You're here," Ruthie said.

"Where's the baby?" Jason asked.

"Shhh," Ruthie, Eric, and Benny said.

"The baby is sleeping," Eric said quietly.

"You need to talk quietly," Ruthie said. "Don't talk loud."

"Can I see it?" Jason asked in a quieter voice.

"Sam has her."

Jason walked over to Sam. "I wanna see it I wanna see it."

"She's not an 'it,' she's a she," said Joon. "Does your mother call you an 'it'?"

"No," said Jason.

"So you must not call her an 'it' because babies are also human beings."

"Can I hold the baby?"

"She has a name Jason," said Joon. "Does your mother call you ' the kid' or 'the boy?' Call her Ivy."

"You guys gave her a name that climbs," Jennifer joked. "Ivy, get it?"

Ruthie smiled.

Eric laughed. He thought it was funny.

"I want to hold her," Jason said again.

"Ask Eric first," said Sam.

"Here let me hold her now," said Joon.

Sam handed Ivy to Joon. She held her in her arms. Jennifer came up to her and looked at Ivy.

"Can I hold the baby?" Jason asked again in a excited voice.

"Shhhh," Ruthie, Eric, Benny, and Sam hissed.

"Here, sit down right here," said Eric.

He got out of his chair and had Jason sit down. "Joon, hand me Ivy please, Jason wants to hold her."

Joon brought Ivy over to Eric and he took her out of her arms and set her on Jason's lap.

"Remember to put your hand under the back of her head Jason," Jennifer told him.

Eric showed Jason where to put his hand. "You must support her head with your hand because babies can't support theirs yet," Eric explained.

Jason had his hand at the back of Ivy's head and he touched her all over. He felt her little hands, then he started to feel her face.

"Careful Jason," Benny said.

"I want to feel it," Jason said.

"She's not an it," Joon said. "Is that his autism making him say that?"

"Joon," said Benny.

"Well I read how they see people as objects because they are unaware we have feelings and we are like objects to them," Joon said.

"I used to see other people as objects," said Jennifer. "I didn't even know they had feelings when I was little and I would be surprised every time I see someone else cry. I just wish someone told me a lot sooner other people have feelings and can feel the same way I feel and everyone cries, everyone yells. It might have spared me the teasing and I might have had more friends. But no I got told it's because kids figure it out on their own so I was expected to know that too. Now I am teaching my son what I didn't know when I was his age so he's lucky."

"Lot of people see babies as 'its,'" said Benny. "I'm sure you have seen people saying "Can we hold it" "Where's the baby?" and didn't you hear Eric calling her 'the baby' also?"

"Oh my god they're all autistic," said Joon.

"Stupid made up condition by doctors," Jennifer said. She was better off thinking it was fake than being labeled and thinking she has a kid who isn't normal all because of that label.

"All conditions are made up," said Ruthie. "Whatever is in the minority, doctors like to make it a condition and give it a word."

"True," said Eric.

"What made you decide to come here Jen?" Ruthie asked.

"What?" Jennifer asked. All she heard was her name.

"What made you decide to come here all of a sudden?"

"Jason wanted to see the baby and he didn't want to wait till the next poker game. I was bored anyway so at least he brought me out of the house," and she laughed.

Ruthie laughed too.

"She has a name," Joon said again.

"Peter could have had someone bring him here but I went "No I'll bring him just to get out of here,"" Jennifer said.

"So boredom makes you flexible then, I see," said Ruthie. "Well now I know another way of making you flexible, bore you to tears."

"Oh."

"I was kidding Jen you knew that right?"

"No but okay."

Jason kept feeling Ivy. "Be careful," Eric told him.

Jason felt her little head.

"Careful with the head, don't press too hard, she has a soft spot there."

"Why?" Jason asked.

"Because all babies have soft spots on their head because their skull isn't fully developed so if you press too hard, you can damage their brain and leave them with brain damage."

"And it be another person for Mike to hate," Jennifer added.

"And another misfit for him to deal with," said Ruthie. "Hey where is he anyway?"

Benny shrugged.

"We don't know," said Eric."Thomas hasn't shown up either."

"Can I hold Ivy now?" Jennifer asked.

"I thought you hated kids?" Benny teased.

"Only the bratty ones," she said. "What can she do to be a brat? Barf on me or have her diaper leak on me? Babies are too innocent to be one. They can't even talk yet or walk."

"I was teasing," said Benny.

"Okay Jason, your mother wants to hold her now," Eric said as he picked her up.

He handed Ivy to Jennifer. She held her in her arms supporting her head on her arm.

"Hey I'm holding her," Jennifer said and started chuckling. "I haven't held a baby in five years and that was when my brother had one."

She walked around the room with Ivy in her arms.

"Jen, how old is your brother?" Benny asked.

Jennifer thought for a moment. "Thirty-six."

"Okay let me hold her now Jen," said Ruthie.

Jennifer was too preoccupied holding Ivy Ruthie had to get her attention. Jennifer looked at her. "Let me hold her," Ruthie said.

Jennifer let Ruthie take Ivy from her. Ruthie held her for a few minutes and then Joon wanted to hold her again. Ruthie handed her to Joon. Joon held it. Benny watched her. Then he asked if he could hold Ivy. Joon handed her to him. It was like everyone was playing pass the baby.

Benny only got to hold her for a minute when she woke up and started to cry.

"Uh oh," said Jennifer.

"Better hand her to her mother," said Ruthie.

Benny handed Ivy to Claudia. She took her and held her in her arms again. She opened her gown and started to nurse. Jennifer saw it and said "Look Jason Claudia is nursing the baby."

"Shhh," Ruthie hissed at her.

"She has a name," Joon reminded her.

Jennifer was a little too loud when she said it.

"I suppose you called Jason "the baby" too when he was one?" Joon said.

"Yep. I called him "my baby,"" Jennifer said.

Jason watched Ivy nurse. Everyone stood around and chatted while Jennifer left the room and wandered around on the floor. Joon just sat and drew in her sketchbook. Sam just stood around tapping his cane.

Then Ruthie said she had to get going. "Are you two coming along?" Ruthie asked Sam and Joon.

Joon closed her sketchbook and put her art pen away in her lunch pail.

"I'll come too," said Sam.

They all left.

Jennifer was back by then and she said she wanted to get going too. "Come on Jason," she said.

She took his hand and they both walked out of there. Benny left too.

Eric and Claudia stayed with their child. The next day, they took her home. Claudia started to fill out the first part of the baby book.

* * *

_In the movie script, Eric and Claudia had an 8 year old daughter named Ivy and they decided to cut her from the script. I don't know why they did that. So I decided to have them have a baby and it's a girl and they name her Ivy._


	15. Chapter 15

The driving test came again. Joon drive there with Ruthie using everything she had been practicing. "I hope I pass this time," said Joon.

"Are you going to celebrate if you do pass?' Ruthie asked.

"I don't know," Joon shrugged.

"Well, where would you like to go?"

"How about Seattle so I can go up on the Space Needle."

"Or how about going to Portland and seeing the rose gardens there. I heard the place is very pretty."

"Didn't Jennifer say that place is known for land slides and they get lot of rain?"

"It does rain there a lot I've heard but I am not sure about land slides but the city is very pretty. I have been through there when I moved here and they do some flea market on the weekends there in downtown," Ruthie said.

"I still would rather go on the Space Needle."

Joon pulled into the parking lot of the DMV and parked Ruthie's Maverick.

They both got out and went inside. Joon checked in and took a seat and waited for her name to be called.

When her name got called, she followed the examiner outside. It was the same one from last time. "Oh a different car this time," she said.

"I'm getting my own soon," said Joon. "My brother is just working on it."

"So who's car is it?"

"My friend's," said Joon.

"Does she have proof of insurance? Show me."

Joon unlocked the car and reached in the glove box and took out the stuff. She leafed through it looking for the card. Then she handed it to the examiner. She looked through it. "Okay it's here," and she handed it back to Joon. She put it back in the glove box and closed it. She got in the car. The examiner got in the car too and closed the passenger door. She went through all the stuff again about there be no tricks or telling her to do anything illegal and she lose one hundred points for hitting another car or human or doing any collision or road kills. "I will try and not confuse you and if you don't understand what I am trying to tell you to do, just ask and I will rephrase it," the examiner finished.

Joon put on her seat belt. The examiner got out of the car and told Joon to turn on the lights and put them on high beam, put on the breaks. After she was done, she got back in the car and they started the test. The test went differently because the examiner told her to go different routes and to different places. Joon remembered to look behind her before she switched lanes, remembered to signal. She even remembered to do a complete stop at the stop signs before she hit the gas pedal again. The test went longer. Joon felt nervous when she hear the examiner mark something on the paper which was the test. "Now I want to to try parrallel parking right here"

Joon turned on the right hand signal and stopped beside the car , she started to back into the empty space. Joon took her time, she had to make it perfect to pass the test. She wasn't sure how many points she lost. Joon kept working on parallel parking. Why did there have to be two parked cars and a gap in between?

She would have just driven in the spot and be done with it but no the car was in the way and the examiner just had to have her park between two cars.

Joon kept pulling in and out and trying to park in the spot until she decided she was close enough to the curb. Joon put the car in park. "Done?" the examiner asked.

"Yes," said Joon.

"Are you sure?"

"Did I do it wrong?" Joon asked.

"Do you think you did it right? That's up for you to say. If you think you didn't do it right, you can keep trying."

"I think I'm done," said Joon."

"Okay, I am going to get out of the car now and check the curb and the car in front of you and behind you."

"Okay," Joon said again.

The examiner got out and looked at the curb and in front of the car and behind the car. She wrote it down.

When she got back in the car, Joon asked if she passed.

"I'll tell you when we get back," the examiner said. "Now I want you to pull out of the spot and go straight."

Joon put the car back in drive again and backed up a little and looked behind her to see if there were any cars coming. She pulled out forgetting to even signal.

On the way back to the DMV Joon pulled into the next lane cutting off a car despite using her signal so she lost ten points. It was a great risk to cause a collision. The car honked. Joon ignored it.

When they got back to the DMV, Joon parked the car and put it in park and turned the engine off.

"Did I pass?" Joon asked.

The examiner started to tell her about her errors without answering her question. She told her she has to remember to signal before she pulls out of the parking spot when she parralleled parked. She has to make sure her car is parked behind the crosswalk in the red light, not of the tip of it over the crosswalk. She has to pay attention to the speed limit signs, and of course she lost ten points when she went in the next lane cutting off a car that could have caused a collision. "You got a seventy eight."

Joon banged her head on the steering wheel. She was so close. She had an eighty eight and she lost it by cutting off that one car. Darn it, why did that car have to be there? She would have passed if that car weren't there.

"When can I take it again?" Joon asked.

"Next week after seven days. You did so good."

"But I didn't pass," Joon pointed out.

"But you got a seventy eight, that's very good. It could have been worse. If you got below seventy, you would have had to wait two weeks to take it again," the examiner said. "Just remember to look in the rare view mirror and wait till the car is behind you far enough before you switch into the lane so the person in it doesn't have to slam on their breaks or have to honk at you."

"Is that why someone honked?" Joon asked.

"Yes."

They both got out of the car and went inside. Joon scheduled the driving test again for next week.

"Did you pass?" Ruthie asked when she walked up to her.

"No," said Joon. "But I was so close. That one car just had to be in my way."

"So when are you going to take it again?"

"Next week on Friday."

Now she couldn't wait till next Friday. She would just keep practicing her driving everyday. Ruthie let her drive home again back to their apartment.


	16. Chapter 16

Joon still worked on her driving in the evenings. Ruthie even asked her if she wanted to drive out to camp Faltskog and see what Jason is up to. Too bad Sam couldn't come but he was cool staying behind. He wanted Joon to be happy. So they both drove out there. It was a forty-forty five minute drive there. They came up to the gates and Joon slowed down. "Remember to turn on your signal," Ruthie reminded her.

Joon turned on her right hand signal and pulled into the parking lot. She saw two security guards opening the gates for them. Joon parked in front of Peter's house and they both got out. They both walked around seeing all the kids. "I wonder where Jason is?" Joon said.

"I wonder where Peter is?" Ruthie said.

They checked the mess hall, the stage, then they checked Peter's backyard. They heard Jennifer laughing and Jason talking. Joon and Ruthie saw them on moon shoes walking around on them and jumping and they both had helmets on and knee pads and elbow pads. Jason kept falling down and so did Jennifer. They both kept getting up.

Jennifer saw them but didn't say anything.

Joon and Ruthie walked up to them. "What are those on your feet?" Ruthie asked.

"Moon shoes," Jennifer said.

"Where did you get them?" Joon asked.

"Toys R Us."

"Is really hard being on those?" Ruthie asked.

"Yeah, sort of," said Jennifer. "But it's so much fun. Jason's therapist said these will help his balance and coordination. You should get them too."

"How much do they cost?" said Ruthie.

"Forty bucks."

"Forty?" Ruthie asked. "Each?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my, that's expensive."

"You should get some Ruthie, they are so much fun, just buy some protective gear too and wear a helmet," Jennifer informed. "These are hard to walk in but they are lot of fun."

"Can I try them first?" Ruthie asked.

"Uh sure."

Jennifer fell down on purpose and took them off. "There you go, put them on."

Ruthie picked one of them up and put her foot on it and tightened the straps around her shoe. Then she put on the other one and stood up. "Hey this isn't so bad," she said. She started to walk around in them and then she started to bounce in them. "Hey this is pretty easy."

"You're good Ruthie," said Jennifer. "Have you used them before?"

"No this is my first time," Ruthie said.

"But you're acting like you have used them a lot because you're so good at using them."

Ruthie kept walking around in them and started jumping on them till she fell down.

"I want to try them," said Joon.

Ruthie sat down and took off the moon shoes. Joon put them on and started to walk around in them. She held her hands out as she walked. "This is cool," she said. "It feels like I am wearing mini trampolines on my feet."

Joon started to jump in them. She had so much fun in them she didn't want to take them off. Jason kept walking around in them holding his arms out and falling. He would keep getting back up and walk again and stumble again.

"Now I want my own, can I have these Jen?" Joon asked.

"No," said Jennifer.

"Please?"

"No," Jennifer barked.

"She's kidding," Ruthie told her.

"How do you know?" Jennifer asked.

Ruthie shrugged. "I'm not sure, I just do."

"Oh you're just guessing then."

Joon and Jason walked around in the moon shoes. Joon held onto Jason's hand. They both walked in them. Joon would fall down with him when he would fall down. Jason would bounce in them and then fall down. Joon did it without falling.

"The therapist recommended I try having him go up and down the stairs with them," Jennifer said "But I told her no way."

"She wanted Jason to go up and down the stairs with those on?" Ruthie asked surprised. "Does she even have a PHD?"

"Yeah," said Jennifer.

"But I can't believe a doctor would tell a parent to have her child go up and down the stairs wearing those. That sounds very dangerous. What if some actually followed through?"

"I don't know, the kid can get hurt and break a bone," Jennifer said.

"I can't believe his doctor be that stupid," said Ruthie.

"I know, I was surprised at that. It sounds dangerous for anybody. I don't see how that help his balance and coordination."

"So did you find a new therapist then?"

"No."

"You should."

"I don't listen to everything she says," said Jennifer. "Parents just need to use their common sense such as knowing it be dangerous to go up and down the stairs with moon shoes."

"But do you want to waste your money on a doctor who doesn't even act professional?" Ruthie asked.

"I hate doctor hunting," said Jennifer.

"I would complain to whoever," Ruthie said.

"How would I do that?"

"I don't know, complain to wherever she got her license from and tell them she told you to have your son walk up and down the stairs wearing moon shoes and how dangerous that is and you refused. She might be telling other parents to do that stuff too and they could actually follow through and their kid can get hurt.

"And why would any parent be that stupid to actually do that?" Jennifer asked.

"Because they might trust the doctor and think she knows what she is doing and because she said to have their kid do it, they might assume it must be safe and okay to do just because the doctor told them so."

"Not my fault they be that stupid to not even think it be dangerous."

"Jennifer, do you remember the time when Mike told you to put your son in the pot and it was perfectly safe and legal because it only be for a week and you believed him?" Ruthie said.

"Yeah, so?" said Jennifer.

"But did that make you stupid for not knowing because you trusted him?"

"It was only for a week," Jennifer pointed out. "Don't all parents need breaks from their kids?"

"Yes but putting them in the pot is not okay."

"Why?"

"It just isn't okay, you're just going to have to trust me on this."

"But why can't you just tell me why?"

Ruthie sighed. She was used to getting all the "whys" from Jason but not from another grown up. She even remembered Jennifer doing that when they both lived in LA and it frustrated lot of people because she wanted to know why to everything and then accuse them of not really knowing why and they are just too lazy to even tell her. Ruthie just thought she was tenacious in getting the correct answers. When she would tell her people are getting frustrated with her questions, Jennifer would shrug and say "They'll get over it, they need to learn."

Ruthie thought that was so right, people do need to learn. Why were they afraid of "why" and afraid of explaining everything to people and expect everyone to follow their orders like they are their slaves and not even tell them why do this, why do that, why can't they do that, why can't they do this. Then Ruthie had forgotten about that from Jennifer when she hadn't seen her for years until she moved to Spokane. Then she was getting it from Jason and then from his mother and Ruthie remembered "Oh I remember that in LA. I can't believe I forgot she did this." She could see where Jason got his "why's" from.

Don't ever stop asking why. People need to learn and not be lazy to answer. But sometimes it got too much because you don't always know the answer or the explination why so it be irritating to have someone keep asking you why and not obey. So why not just tell them you don't know either yourself so the person would know you're not being lazy.

"Jen, you're just going to have to trust me okay? I don't know how to explain it. You just don't bet on humans," Ruthie said. "Even if it's for for three days."

Jennifer got mad at Mike about something one time so for revenge she put her son in the pot by telling him she takes him off her hands for three days and Mike lost and he had to take Jason but he drove him crazy. Touching all his things, being rough with his dog, jumping on his bed and asking "why" about everything, meltdowns and acting up so Mike called Jennifer and begged her to come and get him to take him home. So she got in her car and picked him up. She figured Mike wouldn't last that long with him because it be a new place for him and everything be different, he would act up and drive Mike crazy because none of his things were there. Jason was happy to be back home at his own apartment where his bed was at and all his other stuff and he could do his routines. After listening to Mike whine about her son when he was there, she just said "Too bad I'm stupid I don't understand half a word you're saying." Then Mike felt upset when he heard her saying to Jason, "Good boy for making him mad. I'm very proud of you."

Mike thought she was crazy for using her kid to drive him crazy and how does she even live with that annoying little runt? Supposidly she told him how to act at his apartment to get him all upset he can't keep his bet. Luckily Ruthie wasn't at the poker game when it happened but she heard about it from Benny and his friends at the next poker game. She asked them why did they let it happen and Thomas said, "We knew he wouldn't be able to last long for three days with him so it was funny."

Jennifer told Ruthie happily how she was psychic for knowing Mike wouldn't last that long with her boy.

"No you just know your son well you knew he would drive Mike crazy with his antics," Ruthie told her. "Remember the time you knew he wrecked Mike's car even though he was denying he went in the car?"

"Yeah but that's because he likes to touch things and mess with things and he loves cars so I always had to keep my doors locked and my keys hidden so he can't get in my car," she said.

-

"Hey why does Jason have on long pants and a long sleeve shirt, isn't he hot in that?" Ruthie asked.

"He hates the straps on his bare skin," said Jennifer. "It does feel uncomfortable but I deal with it."

She finally took off her gear and scratched her arms where the straps touched.

"So what's the doctor's name?" Ruthie asked.

"Terri heartrathger, why did you want to know?"

"To file a complaint about her. I can't have her go telling other parents to have their kids do dangerous things. I'm surprised she even has her license."

"Maybe other parents are smart after all what is dangerous for their kids," said Jennifer.

Then Peter came by.

"Hey," he said. "You two decided to drop by eh?"

"Yeah," said Ruthie. "Are you aware that Jason's therapist told Jennifer to have her son go up and down the stairs wearing those," she pointed at the moon shoes.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Peter said.

"She did," said Jennifer.

"Okay, I'm finding him a new therapist then. I won't waste my money on a quack. When did she tell you this?"

"Like two weeks ago when she recommended the shoes."

"I am going to complain to the place about her. That is so dangerous."

While Joon and Jason kept playing with the moon shoes, Jennifer and Peter brought Ruthie in his house to give her a little tour. Ruthie looked around and then she saw Jason's bedroom. "Oh this has pretty much became his new home," she said.

She saw lot of his stuff was there and his movies. Then they left his bedroom. Ruthie was about to enter the music room when Peter told her he didn't want anyone in there, nor in his art studio. She saw Peter's room. The bedroom was pretty big and he had a huge closet and bathroom with a jaccuzi in there. Then they heard some meowing.

Ruthie looked down and saw a Calico cat had just walked in. "Oh look how much she has grown," she said as she picked her up.

Ruthie could remember Jennifer getting a Calico cat who was ten weeks old back in February. Peter brought it to the poker game to show her off to everyone and she scratched Mike when he held her. Of course it was an accident. Then she started to teeth too because she liked putting her teeth on people because it was her way of playing, Jennifer liked it so she let her do it to her. She named it Michelle right when she got her. Peter said she could have her at his house since the manager at her apartment didn't allow pets.

Then Koplov, Peter's dog came in the room and Michelle started to hiss. He had Koplov back in Sweden at his parents house and then he had them ship him out to him last November.

Peter picked his dog up and Ruthie left the bedroom with Michelle in her arms.

They looked around his house some more. Ruthie had been inside before but it had been months since she had last been there.

Koplov came downstairs and went outside through the doggy door. Peter had it put in after his dog arrived. Jason was happy he finally had pets. He never had one before because his father was allergic to them.

After they were done touring the house, they came back outside. Joon wasn't wearing the shoes anymore and Jason still had his on. She was holding onto his hand as he kept walking.

"Hey Joon ready to go?" Ruthie asked.

Joon let go of Jason and told her she was going to head back to her apartment.

Jason took off his moon shoes and his gear and left them in the lawn.

"Put your stuff away," Jennifer told him. She remembered to pick up her own moon shoes and gear just to set an example.

Peter waved bye to Ruthie and Joon.

"Well he's sure happy," Ruthie said

"Which one?" Joon asked.

"Jason."

They didn't say anything else until they were on the road.

"Walking on those shoes and jumping in them was easy," said Joon. "And Jen said it was hard."

"Well I don't think her coordination is that great," said Ruthie. "I remember her bumping into walls and stumbling into stuff when we lived in LA."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She would bump into people or children or chairs, anything in front of her and she used to get mad at the bus drivers for moving before she even got to sit so I always had her hold onto me. One day she fell into an elderly once the bus started moving and boy did she curse at the driver. 'Jeses Christ, do you drivers ever wait for any of your passengers to sit before you start moving?'"

Joon laughed. "She said that?"

"Something like that and she was so upset she forgot to apologize to the passenger so I had to do it for her and as we got off the bus I told the driver I really wish they wait on people till they are seated and the driver said they are on a very tight schedule and I said 'you accommodate elderlies and pregnant woman and handicapped people and are able to help people with directions but you don't have time to wait on young woman to be seated before you guys start moving?'"

"That's rediculous," said Joon. "I remember whenever we get on the bus, Jason would run to the back of the bus when the driver start moving. One day he fell and I yelled 'You son of a gun, this is a child. If he had gotten hurt I would have sued your guy's pants off" and then we were kicked off the bus for my outburst."

"Yeah I do wish the drivers would be required to start moving when the passengers are seated after they get on," said Ruthie. "You never know they could lose their balance and fall and get hurt. I remember Jennifer would stand with her legs spread out when she be putting money in the machine so she wouldn't fall. Then when she was pregnant, the drivers waited till she was seated before they started moving. After she had Jason, they still waited till she was seated."

"I bet pretty soon people will start suing the transportation when someone starts getting hurt and then they will have to wait till every person is seated before they start moving," Joon said.

"Or they just put up warning signs saying to watch your balance when the bus is in motion," Ruthie pointed out.

"I hate buses."

"I know you do."

"So why did you take buses? Didn't you drive?"

"We didn't have a car then. We were young. I was trying to be a movie star while Jen was trying to hold down a job and then she was a movie critic."

"How did you two meet anyway?"

"Oh I had friends and they lived in an apartment with room mates and Jen happened to be one of them. She didn't socialise with them or get along well with them. My friends would talk bad about her and I would feel awful for her and she have all these episodes. They never said anything good about her. They also did some mean things to her and I just decided to invite her to move in with me to get her away from them so we both got an apartment together and had quiet room mates, ones who didn't party and weren't loud and disruptive. People don't need to have lot of friends over and be obnoxious and have to have parties and we all respected each others personal space. They didn't go in our room and we didn't go in their room and she functioned a lot more normally. It was just those other people that were the problem and she needed quieter room mates and ones who respect her."

"How old were you then?"

"Oh we were young, teens. I had just gotten out of high school then. But then we only knew each other for a few years before she got a boyfriend. Then we started to drift apart. We saw less of each other. Then she got married and I never saw her again."

"Did you know Jason as a baby?"

"I saw him a few times but no more than a few months old."

"What was he like as a baby?"

"He seemed normal. Cried like all babies do."

"So why didn't you two see lot of each other?"

"I got busy so I never called her much and we lived all the way across the city. I was never good at keeping in touch with my old friends and she wasn't either so that's what split us up but we still talked on the phone once in a while. Then I moved up here."

"Why didn't you go see her?"

"I don't know. I just didn't. Those other LA friends I had, I haven't spoken to them either in years or seen them since I have moved around LA."

"Wow."

"I think Jen and I hold a record of failing to keep friends," Ruthie joked. "Now we are seeing less of each other again. Now busy with her happy life."

"I think Benny holds one for how many women he has turned away," Joon said.

They drove the rest of the way home. Joon did good on the road. When she got to Spokane, she remembered to use the signals and remembered to look behind her before she switched lanes.

* * *

_Ah moon shoes. I first tried them when I was 10 and I was a walking disaster in them. I bumped into walls and furniture at someone's house and the daughter there though I was doing it on purpose when I went into her room and crashed into things knocking things on the floor. I got some when I was 19 finally and I was a lot better in them. My balance was better is why because my mother had me to occupational therapy to help my balance and coordination. _

_Going up and down the stairs with moon shoes was based on a real experience. My boyfriend did therapy for his poor balance and coordination as well and he did it in school. The therapists would have him go up and down the stairs on roller skates and that shocked me. That sounds very dangerous and I don't see how that is supposed to help. Why did his parents even allow it? Did they even know about it? One day he fell down three flights of stairs and broke some bones. He had to go to the hospital. His parents could have sued the school but they didn't. The therapists never had anyone go up and down the stairs again on roller skates. In this story, Jen was smart to not have Jason do it with moon shoes despite being told to have him do it._


	17. Chapter 17

Benny was working on a car when a gal walked in. She was a little chubby, had curly golden brown hair and wore glasses. A tow truck had pulled in pulling a 1981 Honda Accord behind. "Oh hi," Benny said when he noticed her.

"I heard this place is the best in town so I had my car towed here. It broke down on the interstate."

"Okay what model and year is it?"

"1981 Honda Accord," the gal said. "It's right out there."

Benny followed her outside and saw the car. "Okay I'll take a look at it then. Come inside."

The gal followed him to the office and Benny took out a form. "I need your name and number and address."

The gal gave her her name. Her name was Jeanne and she lived in Spokane Valley, an unincorporated city outside of Spokane. The STA went out there. Her transmission had stopped working while she was on the freeway so she had to pull over and was stuck there until an officer pulled over to see what was wrong. She told him she was having car troubles so the officer called for a tow truck. The guy who did the towing told her about Benny's Car Clinic and told her the owner gives out great deals to customers so she decided to tow it there.

"Do you have a ride?" Benny asked. He didn't want her to be stranded.

"Oh I'll just call a cab or something," Jeanne replied. "Thanks anyway."

And she left.

Benny was normally attracted to thin pretty women but Jeanne was on the chubby side but she was also pretty. The pretty women he knew were all thin, Jennifer, Ruthie, a female customer who once tried to take him out to dinner when he charged $750 for her engine. He had never hit on Jennifer before because he was dating Ruthie then and by the time they broken up, Jennifer was already dating Peter. He could probably handle her or would he have a complicated life again? It's not like she directed traffic or lit things on fire, she wasn't crazy and she didn't need supervision. He would most likely have a complicated relationship then except he wouldn't have to hire housekeepers to watch her or deal with things being lighten on fire or come home and see his banister had been painted or the kitchen cupboards or the walls and he wouldn't have to make sure she brushed her teeth or hair or bathed and make sure she is in bed. But she had a son who was complicated so would he be able to handle him and his needs? He handled Joon so he could probably handle him too but probably be driven crazy by him questioning everything and wanting to know why to everything. Tell him to not leave the yard and don't tell him why, he would do it anyway because there was no explanation why he was told not to. But then Jennifer would be there to help unless she gets overloaded with her job and wants to be left alone and not want to be bothered by her son or him. He had to try hard to not look at her as a label like he did with Joon. He used to see Sam as weird because of his antics he did and then he was able to look through it and thought he wasn't weird after all and different. He just had a gift. Now Benny had learned to not see Joon as sick as much like he used to. He remembered Ruthie saying one time "They're all just labels. They don't define us."

But Jennifer was a few years older than him but so was Ruthie but she was younger than Jennifer by a year. He didn't mind women who were a few years older than him. Just as long as they looked his age, he was attracted to them.

Benny went back in his garage and got back to work. Eric teased him about Jeanne.

"Did you ask her out?" Eric asked.

"No," said Benny.

"Ah why not? Your life isn't complicated anymore."

"I asked her if she had a ride and she said she'll call a cab," said Benny.

"Ah. You could have left work and given her a ride, I would have held down the fort."

"She's fat anyway," said Benny.

"Take her out for a walk or for a run, that will do," said Eric. "Good thing you aren't Jen, she probably would have said it to her face."

"Nah I remember her scolding Jason for commenting you have a big tummy," Benny said. "But it was hilarious when he said Mike was big too. Kids say the darnest things."

"Bluntness sure does come in handy sometimes," said Eric.

"Yeah and when Jen was scolding Jason, she told him if he wants to make comments about people being fat, say them to Mike about him being fat and she said it to make sure Mike heard her loud and clear."

"Hey do you think it's right what she is doing to her boy?" Eric asked.

"What do you mean?" Benny asked.

"Well she is using her boy to pick on Mike so she is basically teaching him to bully and it's okay to do. I mean man you shouldn't use your kids to pick on someone and then you tell them not to do it. It be too confusing for them."

"Well it doesn't matter because Mike hardly comes to the games."

"And I guess we are at fault too because we all have been using her for entertainment just so we can watch her bash Mike ," Eric said. "We're the ones who kept encouraging it just by letting it happen and laughing at the things she says to Mike. Hey remember the time when Jason was drumming on the buckets and Jennifer let Mike go inside to try and take the sticks away from him just so he can fight with him?"

"Yeah I remember," said Benny.

"Mike could have hurt him, what do you think?"

"Peter would have nailed him if he did. Remember the time he punched him in the stomach for calling Jen a word?"

"Oh yeah. That sure showed us how much he respects her."

"What about the time when Peter brought over Jen's kitten she had just gotten. She had let Mike hold it and then she scratched him."

"I think that was just an accident," said Eric. "It be hard to train a kitten to also pick on certain people."

"Or maybe it was just a coincidence," Benny added. "She didn't scratch anyone but Mike."

"Hey what is your favorite Jen moment at the game? Mine was when she placed a bet to Mike that he picks up doggy poo with his bare hands."

"Mine was when she told him he has to walk around in the backyard wearing nothing but a diaper," Benny said.

"Man does she have a thing with diapers?" Eric said. "She has mentioned them several other times already."

"Jenny says a lot of weird things."

They both went back to work without talking.

-

Joon had really loved those moon shoes. She wanted a pair of her own. She checked her transaction register to see if they had enough money in the bank. Okay Sam gets paid next week, she already got her social security check and they paid the rent. So she had plenty of money left over from her social security check but they also needed food and Sam went shopping every two or three days. They had the store right down the street. Sam would get off the bus on Monroe and stop at the store and walk the three blocks home.

"Sam, I want to get a pair of moon shoes," Joon said.

"Uhh moon shoes?" Sam said.

"Yeah."

"But you have shoes Joon," Sam said.

"No I mean shoes that you can jump in. Jennifer and Jason have a pair and she let me try them and they were so much fun. You can bounce in them and hop in them, jump, it's like wearing trampolines on your feet."

"Wow, I didn't know there was such product," Sam said.

"And Jen says they cost forty bucks."

Sam spat his drink out. "Whoa, that's pricey."

"I think we can afford it, I'm going to try and finish this portrait so I can try and sell it."

"Okay and you're going to use that for the shoes?"

"Yes."

Sam hadn't been studying for the test lately because he didn't see the point in it. He decided he would do it again when Benny is nearly finished with the car and then he would go back and take the written test. Joon insisted he should keep studying or else he forget the answers and he would have to start over from scratch. Sam said he would do it all again when Benny is nearly done with the car.

-

The next day, Joon was driving Ruthie's car again. Joon asked if she can go to Toys R Us.

"What do you want to go there for?" Ruthie asked.

"There is something I want to get."

"Oh those shoes Jason and Jen have?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Maybe I should get a pair too. Then we can both have fun with them together."

"Sure."

Joon headed for Toys R Us. She had to take Monroe street that went downtown and then Joon had to go over to Division street to get there. She remembered to look behind her before she switched lanes, remembered to signal, and remembered to stay behind the cross walk at a red light. The light turned yellow right when she got to the crosswalk and Ruthie told her she can keep going when she put on the break.

"When the light turns when you get this close," Ruthie explained. "You don't need to stop because you wouldn't have enough time to do it so you can keep going."

"But yellow means slow down," Joon pointed out.

"Yes it does but if you put on the breaks when you are that close to the crosswalk, you will end up in the intersection. Plus you don't want to slam on your breaks or else the cars behind you will crash into you. It be dominoes."

When they got to Toys R Us, Joon parked the car and they both got out. Joon locked it and they both went inside. They started to look for those shoes.

"Can I help you find something?" a store employee asked.

"We are here looking for a pair of moon shoes," said Ruthie.

"Yes, we have maybe ten left in stock. We just ordered more."

Ruthie and Joon followed him to the bike section and he pointed to the shoes. Joon looked down and saw the box. It showed a kid on them and Joon picked it up and looked at it. Ruthie picked up the other box and studied it. "This is it," said Ruthie.

"Is that everything?" the employee asked.

"Yes thank you," said Ruthie.

Joon saw the weight capacity on the box. It could hold her weight real easily. She picked up another box for Sam.

They brought them to the front of the store and paid for them. Ruthie used her credit card and Joon wrote them a check.

They both walked out of the store carrying the boxes and the receipt in their hands.

Joon couldn't wait till she got home to try them.


	18. Chapter 18

_Hi I'm back with this story. I had a horrible writer's block so I was stuck but when I decided to change the scene, things picked back up. I am stuck on my other stories again, Ass Burgers, and Everyone Hates Barney._

_Uh oh have I made Benny autistic lol? Oh well everyone has some traits of it. I'd rather give all the characters traits and all my OCs. It's easier that way. _

* * *

Sam loved the shoes. He and Joon would go outside together and bounce in them, Ruthie would join in too and they all bounced in them. It wasn't necessary for them to wear protective gear. They had great balance.

Eric invited all his friends to his house for the fourth of July. Ruthie told Jennifer about it but she said she would think about it.

"Mike might be there, I think Eric invited him, they are they thinking about doing poker there also before the fireworks," said Ruthie.

"He might leave when he sees I'm there," said Jennifer.

"We'll if you want to come, it's at Eric's house on July forth, I don't know when it starts but give me a call that day and I'll tell you."

"I'll let Jason know."

"Peter too?"

Jennifer didn't answer thinking it was a reminder to let him know also.

"Let Peter know too," Ruthie said again.

"Okay I will."

Ruthie took Sam and Joon to the firework stand. The whole tent was set in the parking lot of the supermarket. They all walked around and found some fireworks they liked. Ruthie bought forty dollars worth of fireworks and Sam and Joon got cheaper ones that didn't cost more than ten dollars. They all paid for them and went back to their apartment.

Joon put on her moon shoes again and walked around in her art studio with them on. Sam was worried she would fall and get paint all over the floor. "Joon, I don't think that's a good idea to wear them when you're painting," said Sam.

"Why not?" Joon asked.

"Because you can fall."

"I'm not Jennifer. Put these on her and she's a walking disaster. She would probably fall into my paintings or knock my painting off the easel," she Joon..

"What about Jason?"

"Him too."

"I think they just need more practice," said Sam.

"Ruthie said she was never good with her balance. I read that people with autism have poor coordination skills and gross motor skills," said Joon.

"It's a shame about autistic people," said Sam.

"At least they don't have to hear voices in their head."

"Yeah."

Benny was at work working on Jeanne's car.

"You should invite the gal to my place for the forth of July," said Eric.

"No I'm sure she has other plans," said Benny.

"Just call her anyway and see."

"I'm can't. I'm busy with Sam and Joon's car and I don't have time for a fat lady," said Benny.

"Don't find excuses," Eric said. "Just call her, you have her number. You can give her a good work out."

"What if she doesn't want to change the way she looks?"

"You won't know unless you know her," Eric told him. "Let's go in your office."

Benny stopped what he was doing and Eric grabbed his sleeve and pulled him into his office.

Eric grabbed the phone off the hook and handed it to Benny. "You know the number?"

Benny opened the filing cabinet and looked under E's and found her name. He took out the sheet and looked her number up and grabbed the phone from Eric. It was beeping so he had to hang it up and then dial. He heard it ringing and then "Hello?"

Benny felt nervous inside. He couldn't get a word out.

"Hello?" Jeanne asked.

Benny was speechless.

"Just say 'hi'," Eric whispered.

Benny barely got the word out when he heard a click.

"She hung up so I guess it's a no," he said.

"Were you this nervous around Ruthie?" Eric asked.

"No actually," Benny said.

"Then why are you nervous with this gal?"

"Maybe because Ruthie wasn't fat," Benny said.

Eric rolled his eyes. "Stop using that as an excuse."

"Well she is, I would be lying if I said she wasn't," Benny pointed out.

"Just call her again and this time say "hi," I'll help you out," said Eric.

"But she hung up on me."

"Because she thought no one was at the phone, just call her and told her you just called and you couldn't get a word out and just ask her to the forth of July."

"But I don't know how," Benny said.

"Okay when she answers, say "Hi Jeanne this is Benny calling from Benny's Car Clinic.""

"And?" Benny asked.

"And I was wondering if you are interested in attending to go to my friend's house with me for the fourth of July."

"But wouldn't that make me sound like a freak?" Benny asked. "I am asking her over to a stranger's house and she might think I am a stalker or something."

"Just call her and don't you worry. Even if she thought you were, she would still have to come by to get her car when it's finished," said Eric.

Benny went back to work. It was no use for Eric. He couldn't hook him up with another girl. He had tried to hook him up with other women back when Joon was still living with him but he used her as an excuse to not have a relationship. Now that he didn't have her anymore, he was using Jeanne's weight and finding other excuses to not ask her out. Benny was one complicated friend he had.

-

On the fourth of July, Ruthie, Sam and Joon were heading over to Eric's house. "I want to drive," said Joon.

"There will be too many people in the car," Ruthie said. "The rule is you are to drive with one other person in the car and I am sure Sam would like to come but he be so sad if he couldn't go."

"Call Benny, Sam can ride with him or I can drive his car," Joon suggested.

Ruthie picked up Sam and Joon's phone and dialed Benny's cell number.

Benny was working on Sam and Joon's car at his shop when he heard his cell phone ringing. He stopped what he was doing wiped his hands off using a baby wipe and picked up his cell phone. He opened the flap and pulled up the antenna and said "Hello?"

"Benny?" Ruthie said.

"Hi," Benny said back.

"Joon wants to drive over to Eric's but she can't if Sam comes along so I was wondering if you can drop by and take Joon or Sam?"

"Sure, I'd love to," Benny said. "How's the driving coming along?"

"It's going great," Ruthie said.

"Is she doing better with her driving?"

"I'd say so."

"So when will you be over?" Ruthie asked. "We were about to head over to Eric's house."

"Oh, I was in the middle of working on her car so if I quit now, it be longer for her car to get done. Tell her that."

"Joon, Benny is working on your car right now so if he quits now to come here, then you will have to wait longer for your car to be finished," Ruthie informed her.

"When will he be finished?" Joon asked.

"When will you be finished?" Ruthie asked Benny.

"Uh another three or four weeks if I work on it everyday," Benny replied.

"No I meant today," Ruthie corrected.

"Oh, uh I was going to wait till evening to head over there before it gets dark," said Benny.

"Benny is going to head over there before it gets dark," Ruthie informed Joon.

"What time?" Sam asked.

"What time?" Ruthie asked Benny.

"Before it gets dark," said Benny again.

"Before it gets dark Sam," Ruthie informed him.

"But it is before dark and that's all day so that doesn't tell us what time," said Sam.

"You're a Jason," Joon teased.

Sam and Jason both took things literal. That was one of the things they had in common.

"Sam wants to know what time because before dark lasts all day you know," Ruthie told Benny.

Benny laughed. "I don't know what time but maybe around six or seven."

"Around six or seven," Ruthie told Sam.

"So does Joon want me to come now or is she going to let me work on her car?" Benny asked.

"Joon, do you want Benny to come here so you can drive or do you want him to keep working on the car?" Ruthie asked.

"He can work on the car, the sooner the better," Joon replied.

"She wants you to keep working on the car," said Ruthie.

"Okay, I'll keep working on it and I'll be at Eric's soon," said Benny.

"Okay, see you soon, bye," said Ruthie.

"Bye," and Benny hung up and went back to work. He had his shop closed that day for the holiday so it was just him there alone.


End file.
